Back Pain

Pauley was in the mood for salmon for lunch so she cooked some. I microwaved some potato smilies as a side for me. It was pretty yummy. But now my brain is completely turned around.

My back is trashed and my head is full of fuckitywidgets again. I tried taking a tramadol but it didn't help at all.

I had to go outside to get my groceries today. I let the shopper carry the big heavy stuff and I carried one bag. To the base of the stairs. And then my chest hurt, I couldn't breathe, I was dizzy. That's been happening more often. I'll bring it up to my doctor next week when I see her.

I'm craving ice cream. Specifically I want green tea ice cream and red bean ice cream. It's so yummy. Instead I'm sipping on my chocolate banana coffee and sitting with Pauley on the couch.

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

#BackPain #Migraine

When my peer specialist got me today I asked if we could stop by 7-Eleven so I could get a drink so I could take a pain pill. My back pain had spiked to 8. A half hour later my back pain was down to 6.

#BackPain

Pauley set up my table station so I could make dinner. She's so helpful. I put a whole 6 pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs and one huge breast in the oven. I used salt free seasoning. I'm just gonna cut mine up and dip it in ranch dressing. It hurts way too much to stand up so I didn't make a veggie. I just told her she can make herself a veggie if she wants one cuz I'm just gonna have a sliced can of hearts of palm dipped in ranch. The pain is at 7. I really don't know how I manage days like this.

#BackPain #ChronicPain

We got to the flea market around 1pm and within 15 minutes I needed to sit down. I took a 5mg Norco 1 and a half hours before we left but it didn't help. I tried sitting for a half hour but it wasn't enough. I sent pauley to go hunt for food. She found some and sent me a picture... but my phone was on power saver so I didn't get the picture until she got back to the table. I decided to give it one more try and I went to go check out some hats but OMG my back pain was at 8. Pauley was having fun looking at stuff. When she was done I called our friend who drove us there to come get us. He wasn't expecting us until close to 6pm so 330pm was confusing. I explained my pain was just too much. When he got us he asked if we needed to go anywhere before home and I asked if he could please take us to the vape shop. He said of course. We were in there for 4 minutes. Then he took us home. He's a really swell fella. So it wasn't the day I was hoping for. But I'm trying to remember I'm disabled and this happens and I'm not worth less for it.

When you think of chronic pain, people often think that physical injuries or medical conditions are the primary culprits. However, there is actually a significant connection between trauma and chronic pain, such as migraines, headaches, IBS, back pain, and other persistent physiological issues. There is an intricate relationship between your mind and body, and how past traumatic experiences can be unconsciously carried through life when not healed, manifesting as ongoing physical discomfort.

Traumatic events can have a way of rewiring how your brain and nervous system responds to pain, leading to increased pain sensitivity. This can explain why people are able to experience chronic pain without apparent physical causes. Understanding this shows why treating both the physical symptoms as well as underlying trauma and emotional elements of chronic pain is so important. Healthcare professionals should encourage, especially in cases where the cause of pain is inorganic or not clear, that psychotherapy is included in the treatment plan for people struggling with chronic pain.

The Link Between Trauma and Chronic Pain

The complex relationship between mind and body plays a significant role in how trauma can lead to chronic pain. Traumatic experiences, especially when severe or prolonged, can alter the way the brain processes pain, which can result in responding with persistent pain even without ongoing physical injury actually happening. This is especially notable when present experiences emotionally trigger old trauma, causing pain to increase in the body, triggering migraines, and more.

Trauma can also cause the nervous system to become hypersensitive. This heightened state can cause the brain to perceive normal sensory signals with pain responses, contributing to chronic pain without an apparent physical cause. Additionally, chronic stress and trauma can induce an inflammatory response within the nervous system that can further alter pain signal processing, which can increase both the duration of pain, and amplify the experience of pain, as well.

When you experience trauma, your body enters a heightened state of alert, which involves the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Although this is an effective short-term stress response to help with fight or flight, ongoing stress from unresolved trauma can result in several health issues as well as inflammation, muscle tension, and more.

Migraines and Stigma

As a therapist who specializes in trauma and working with people with chronic migraines, one of the more complex issues I've encountered is actually the worry some people have that linking migraines to mental health will validate the idea that the migraines are "all in their head". For many migraine sufferers, they have gone through life tortured by migraines, but since it's not visible in the same way other physical illnesses are, they have been told by people around them that they're causing the migraines or that it's all in their head. Therefore, many feel they need to be able to point to a medical-only cause of their migraines in order to prove the legitimacy of their suffering (one could also say it's a trauma for many migraine-sufferers being blamed for their suffering throughout their lives and not understood or really heard).

Unfortunately, this stigma has caused many people to not seek treatments that could ease their suffering, such as therapy focused on migraines and headaches, and what may be emotionally reinforcing or playing into the chronic pain in this area. Obviously, there are certain times where migraines are caused by something more purely medical. But I have seen the difference it makes for people when they are able to allow themselves to explore beyond the medical and look at the emotional side of migraines and other forms of chronic pain. This doesn't mean that your pain is any less real or that it's all in your head. The pain and experience of the struggle is still valid and real. This goes for any chronic pain that has been unseen or invalidated over time.

Childhood and Emotional Trauma

Adverse childhood experiences can significantly increase the risk of developing chronic pain in adulthood. These traumatic events may include physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or bullying. Family dysfunction or witnessing discord between parents on a regular basis can also play a role, as well as other experiences not included here. People with multiple adverse childhood experiences are generally more likely to experience trauma responses later in life. (While this post is more about chronic pain, trauma responses can include a number of different mental health struggles such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and more).

Getting Help and Reducing Your Struggle

Understanding the connection between physiological, psychological, and emotional is important for developing effective treatment strategies that addresses both the emotional and physiological aspects of chronic pain. As mentioned above, it's important that healthcare professionals encourage people struggling with any form of unexplained chronic pain to round out their treatment with therapy. I've seen people who've felt helpless with medical treatments make significant strides forward in the reduction of frequency and intensity of chronic migraines and other forms of chronic pain. It is possible to break free from the cycle of trauma and chronic pain, and to reduce your suffering.

#Migraine #Trauma #ChronicPain #IrritableBowelSyndromeIBS #Headache #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #Fibromyalgia

When you think of chronic pain and depression, you might assume they’re separate conditions. One manifests physically, while the other affects mental health. However, there actually is a complex interplay between these two conditions. Many people experiencing chronic pain also grapple with depression and vice versa.

Each condition can exacerbate the other. Chronic pain can lead to feelings of helplessness and isolation, potentially triggering depressive symptoms. Depression can amplify somatic responses, including migraines, IBS, back pain, and more.

The Link Between Depression and Chronic Pain

Depression and chronic pain often form a vicious cycle. Persistent pain can trigger negative emotions and depressive symptoms, while depression can manifest as unexplained physical discomfort, such as migraines and other somatic issues. This connection often creates a cycle between the two that can be difficult to break without effective treatment.

Quality of Life

Chronic pain can significantly impact one’s quality of life by depleting your energy, reducing motivation, and limiting daily activities. If you are engaging less with people, work, and life in general, it can intensify feelings of depression, further perpetuating this cycle. Depression can also make it harder to cope with pain, as it can reduce motivation and energy levels. Additionally, depressive symptoms can manifest as physical symptoms, including increased pain sensitivity and muscle tension, making it even harder to feel motivated.

Brain Pathways

When you are living with chronic pain, it can make it more likely to experience both pain and depression. This connection originates from underlying neural mechanisms involving specific brain structures, chemicals, and pathways. Increased pain intensity is often associated with a higher likelihood of developing depressive symptoms. Psychotherapy helps open new pathways in the brain that can help heal mental health and chronic pain issues.

Limiting Factors

Chronic pain can also limit physical activity, social interactions, and work productivity, leading to feelings of isolation and frustration.

Reduced physical activity and social isolation can serve to increase stress levels, which can further exacerbate both chronic pain and depression symptoms.

Treatment Strategies

Chronic pain generally includes more than just mental health treatments. However, people often underestimate the need for psychotherapy and attention to mental health when it comes to treating chronic pain, such as chronic migraines, back pain, IBS or other forms of pain. Old traumas can also cause chronic pain and lead to depressive symptoms in the present, as well.

Here are some ways people approach the confluence of depression and chronic pain together:

Pain Management: Medications, physical therapy, and other interventions to manage pain

Psychotherapy: Psychodynamic, psychoanalytic, and somatic-based therapy to work through depression, traumas, or other mental health struggles that may also be manifesting in the body.

Medications: Antidepressants and other medications to manage depressive symptoms, depending on severity

Lifestyle Modifications: Regular exercise, healthy diet, and adequate sleep are a few things that can help improve mood and reduce pain.

Mind-Body Techniques: Mindfulness meditation, yoga, and emotional regulation exercises can help with physiological stress and help with emotional grounding.

By understanding the connection between chronic pain and depression, you can take a more rounded approach to your wellbeing. When I work with people on the mental health side of chronic migraines (which often includes depression and anxiety), one of my specialties, I generally recommend that you have physical support as well, whether it's a neurologist, and/or alternative approaches. I find that the combination of various treatment options helps to address the depression and chronic pain cycle together.

#Depression #Migraine #ChronicPain #Anxiety #MentalHealth #IrritableBowelSyndromeIBS