As a Behavioral Medicine Psychologist, I spend the majority of my time working with individuals who have chronic pain. Chronic pain falls under the category of what we refer to as an invisible disability. It is estimated that approximately 100 million people in the United States have chronic pain [International Association for the Study of Pain]. A person may look just fine on the outside, but may be struggling severely day to day.
Invisible disabilities are difficult for others to understand. As I’m educating people, I often explain it like a snow globe. You may walk by and think, “How pretty! This scene is picture perfect!” What you don’t realize is that someone had come by a few minutes earlier and shook the hell out of that snow globe. Imagine all those tiny, falling, glittering flakes representing something a person with chronic pain or chronic illness struggles with on a daily basis: keeping a job, managing their children, sitting, standing or walking for any length of time, activities of daily living, socializing, romantic relationships, giving up activities he or she previously enjoyed doing, problems sleeping, and for some people, a significant impact on their mood.
Usually, the first thing people ask me is why they would see a psychologist for chronic pain. Do I think the pain is all in their heads? No. But, I do know pain affects everything and everything affects pain. Understanding the thoughts and feelings that go along with chronic pain helps people cope better. Working with a psychologist or other behavioral health specialist can help you learn new self-management strategies to reduce the intensity of your pain and learn about factors that can increase and decrease your pain.
If you’re struggling with chronic pain, don’t lose hope. Keep communicating and stay proactive about your health. Talk with your medical providers about the right action plan for your care to encompass a whole health perspective.
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