The association between mental health and Chronic Pain is difficult to understand and the drugs prescribed to our group (fibro) are in the main to treat both, this is a video I found helpful.
I would be interested in any thoughts on the subject of mental health and pain.
It’s an interesting subject.
I’ve been diagnosed with depression and EPD (emotional personality disorder) for about 20 years and PTSD for about 15 years.
During those years, I did find that my extreme lows would contribute to me not wanting to go out, or eat properly and therefore not get energy and exercise as I should, but then I would get my head on straight and get back to it.
I’ve only really experienced the extreme fatigue and pain since around 2017/18. Even then, I would push myself to get back up and get back out to socialise, work and study. But I noticed that from 2017/18, my energy levels really started waning and my pain threshold got progressively lower - causing my immune system to take several hits. This, in turn, caused my moods to get lower and it’s from here that I’ve been stuck in a vicious cycle.
I have actually managed to avoid covid so far, so I don’t blame that - I think I have this condition due to a combination of past emotional trauma and many years with undiagnosed endometriosis. By the time my endo was addressed with a full hysterectomy, my nerves were already a mess.
I do feel now, that the constant pain and lack of sleep makes me spiral so much with my moods. I miss going out and being active, I miss travelling, I miss playing with my godchildren... People suggest pushing through it, but that makes things worse for me. I know I’m not lazy and I know I already push myself - I’m really scared that this is gonna be it for me, now and that doesn’t help my low moods. Very hard to think positively with constant pain.
Sorry - very long reply that’s only somewhat related 😅😬
Nice reply. Really good to hear your account of this condition and your surrounding symptoms/diagnosis's.
I kind of feel that the trauma or emotional experience does leave its mark, I describe this as a rubber band effect, once it is total overstretched it never seems to go back as it was, like your mind.
I feel what you are saying about the scared bit, it is scary and fear is a great food for anxiety. I agree my pain has increased yet my coping strategies are better, so I cannot fully understand this.
The line taken for mental health is Recovery" to a more meaningful life, I kind of accept that things will not be the same (like you, not lightly though) this I feel is part of a recovery, a greater understand, views like yours help to accept that, just to knowing where you are and maybe building on our strengths. Yes, I can totally see your journey with this condition, and me too getting restorative sleep is an issue.
Hi Penelope.i have had depression for about 30 yrs this started from my daughters relationship with the father of my grandson..who was mentally and abusive..then i found out i have fybromialagy osteoporosis..i have great days you no when you pretend you are ok..but mostly yoy drag myself out of bedJust to find you are back in there.dont want to see anybody talk to anybody .i have hidden behind the door for no reason ....the pain does affect my mood it has to dosnt it because i carnt co trol it even the allthe medicine. Be great to live life pain free.....
Thanks for your story, it is very helpful to hear of your connection with mental illness (depression) and physical illness (pain)
What interests me about your account is your very first trigger or traumatic experience (sadly no easy situation to handle) Do you feel your mental illness (depression) came first, before you started to feel the Pain - or vice versa?
Did you have experience of mental illness before this event?
I can understand if you do not wish to reply, equally I would be grateful to know.
Sending lots of hugs to you. Depression and fibromyalgia are very isolating conditions and you end up thinking you’re alone in it all. That’s what I love about this forum - it reminds me that there are people who understand and just knowing that I’m heard makes me feel more positive 💙
😁 I’m slowly getting to grips with it… I had my diagnosis in February and hadn’t even considered it as an option prior to that, so I am trying to change my mindset from “I’ll get back to how I was” to “I need to learn a new normal”. Luckily, I have very supportive family, boyfriend, and friends 💙
Hi there, I don't find pain and mental health hard to understand. For me I think it tends to go hand in hand to be honest.
Constant daily pain stops you doing a lot of the normal activities you may once have done. Been inactive causes not only more extreme pain on trying to move. You also can become very isolated. Isolatation can then for many become a serious problem on its own.
You may start to become depressed and anxiety can then become an issue. In turn the fear of your health and future can certainly become a worry which then can wrack up the pain. Its a very vicious circle that's for sure.
Our brain is a wonderful tool. It can make us feel good,bad,sad,and sadly pain. That's why I think CBT with the right therapist can be of a great benifit. Maybe not for everyone but for quite a lot of people. This is just my personal opinion.
Momo
I so agree, I’ve had fibro along with RA, and osteoarthritis for many years so I’m always in some sort of pain which is bound to affect you mentally, last year the pain etc all got too much and and I had a bit of a melt down, the Dr suggested a course of anti depressant which have helped me so much, I’m on the lowest dose now and how to come off them soon
That's good news that your feeling the benifit of the mediction. How would you rate your pain now. Just out of interest 🤗
My pain is still there, maybe slightly better, but I find I can cope with it better now.
Yes I guess for many of us the pain never goes away. That's the nature of the beast isn't it. Maybe its how we think or not think about it constantly helps us to have some kind of life?
Yes, it’s accepting that it’s never going away and learning to live with the pain we have, while trying to find ways to cope with it and trying to distract our minds is good but so hard when we’re in pain isn’t it
I agree. Distraction for me is the name of the game. Been a wheel chair user and not a medication user. I need to focus on other things 😘
100% they go hand in hand for me; I first suffered pain following a car accident in 2015; whiplash and found out I had thoracic outlet syndrome. It was a really difficult time for me because I knew there was more to my injury but did not feel heard. Dismissed as “just whiplash” took me 3 years to get diagnosed and have surgery …. As a result my mental and emotional well being really took a hit. I was desperately searching for; help; what it could be causing my terrible and relentless pain; some decent sleep; different ways to do things not to flare up my pain etc. i was exhausted and that was without having anxiety around driving and being a passenger was even worse! Following my first surgery it was suggested that I had fibro too which made sense of other symptoms. I honestly believe if I had not been left so long and was actually listened too maybe I wouldn’t have developed fibro as my nervous system was under so much stress! I am now awaiting my third surgery … I have had very dark moments, it’s so tough living with pain every single day, I feel so isolate despite having wonderful people around me, but one of the worst things I struggle with that absolutely impacts my mental health is the loss of my career and working life! I feel worthless as a result, I long to be productive and feel useful. I want to contribute towards family life .
Hi Braveheart, I don't think anybody particularly understands how long even minor physical injuries take to heal. I have tried to get back into doing things too soon quite often depending on the pressure there is around us to do certain things, and there has often been a fairly unpleasant backlash. Fortunately have chiropractor and acupuncturist and some over the counter painkillers and cbd oil, as well as a recently acquired soft as possible tempur mattress which does seem to absorb some of my pain. - Wanting to get back to normal life when you really can't is frustrating and depressing. Even when close family has real empathy, you can still feel isolated when they go off and do other things. Don't forget though, you are probably growing more tolerant and understanding of people every day (except perhaps Politicians!) You can still contribute a lot to family, wider family, friends and your locality online. 'Nextdoor' is great if you have it in your area. If you haven't you could start it off!
Love to know your experience of next door?
I sometimes spend a fair bit of time on nextdoor but it keeps me in touch with the community as I can't get out much especially during flares or when I was recovering from omicron. It was really useful for all of us around lockdown and I've been in contact with people I knew years ago in the wider area when I got out more and had a life! Not many grumpy people on it and mostly cat and dog lovers and interesting events happening around. Feel less isolated because of it. Occasionally a bit of drama, moans about deliveries not happening on the right doorstep and usefully warnings about crime and fraudulant phone calls. Good experience basically. Recommend it. - Has your experience been similar or negative or not happened yet?
Thanks for that.
I have no experience with nextdoor, apart from years ago when life was slower and we made more time for each other!
Talking Therapy is gaining evermore support, especially with mental health and now the stigma of mental health has diluted over the years, I for one feel less conscious and less feeble talking about it. And forums like this offer that degree of privacy to share real feelings without judgement.
Nextdoor does seem to be popular, it is kind of funny that nowadays we all feel less intrusive or embarrassed when we have a title to enable us to talk openly.
Well done "nextdoor" I will have a look in my area.
There is a talk privately facility on some of the communications. I got to know a local artist and his wife that way. You will find it interesting.
Great account, really felt at home with your symptoms, (sadly). Do you think your accident or at least the anxiety you experienced around this event with the lack of support may be trauma? I will post a video I watched of an Italian/Spanish clinician, he has some years medical experience with fibro, he suggest that our experience of tauma" such as car accident, divorse, bereavement, childhood experiences, this type of traumatic events are the leading factor for the onset of fibro. Whilst knowing these things may have been the trigger does not cure fibro, for me acceptance does provides a starting point for recovery.
Be interested to know your thoughts.
Yes I do, I am also unable to say what was more traumatic the physical pain or the emotional pain. Being made to feel like it was a figment of my imagination, that it was all psychological, that I was after a quick buck (compensation)! I was being bounced around once one dept felt they were unable to help, move along, go home, meditate, change your diet, acupuncture, anti-depressants and so on! That does terrible things to a persons mental health because if I didn’t have anxiety or depression before I was certainly driven to it! Then I felt like I had so much to be thankful for (family and children) that I shouldn’t be feeling so miserable and then I would beat myself up for those feelings too!
So in answer yes trauma both physical and emotional led to my fibro. It’s been 7 long years now for me and I am still trying to come to terms and make sense of my illnesses and future life.
Thank you for your reply. I would definitely be interested in your video.
Regards
Braveheart
Thanks for your reply, Pretty conclusive evidence for you.
This trauma theory has been gathering a lot of weight over the past few years, my diagnosis goes back to 2009, in this period sadly fibro was even less understood.
On another note about Trauma, Will Young and a couple of others were talking on Radio 4 this morning, around 11ish, he has recently spent time having treatment in america for his symptoms, it is worth a listen if you can get it on bbc Iplayer/sounds.
I will take a look for the video.
Well there seems to be a lot more interest recently particularly because long covid seems to mirror fibro symptoms! Oooh I’ll have a look at that will young interview. Thank you!
Hi, did Will Young actually say what treatments he had in the US. That would be interesting to know.
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