May is National Mental Health Month – a time when we physicians (hopefully)
are able to educate and shed light on the subject of, and perhaps most
importantly, reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Like any
other type of chronic condition or disease, mental illness deserves medical
attention. It is real. And the patients who are suffering deserve to feel
validated and supported. In my experience with patients who are dealing
with a condition that is accompanied by chronic pain, mental decline can
sometimes, unfortunately, go hand-in-hand. And it can often present itself
in the form of depression.
One thing I try to help my patients understand early in our conversations
is that depression is common when battling an illness that brings on chronic
pain. Now, this doesn’t mean that it’s “normal”
or “OK.” The simple fact is that it is important for people
who are suffering to know they are not alone and they are
NOT ‘crazy.’ Of course, infrequent episodes of sadness or melancholy
are a normal part of the human existence. But when these feelings overwhelm,
or last longer than a few weeks, this is where the clinical diagnosis
of depression can come into play.
If the difficulty with daily living wasn’t enough for people who
are dealing with a chronic pain condition, depression can make life for
some feel like an inescapable prison. Clinical depression symptoms go
well beyond “a bad mood,” which is the way some people who
aren’t suffering can perceive it. It’s hard to focus on wellness
and recovery from illness when just getting out of bed can feel like climbing
Mt. Everest. But this is the reality for some people and it deserves acknowledgement
and compassion from society, loved ones and caregivers.
More than anything, if you or someone you love is suffering from a chronic
pain condition that isn’t being well-managed it is time to seek
expert advice. As a fellowship-trained neurologist in Multi-Disciplinary
Pain Medicine, I can tell you that this is a real medical field. With
expert and experienced diagnosis and treatment, Pain Medicine is about
so much more than a prescription for medication when it comes to treating
and relieving chronic pain. And while we want to get to the bottom of
what is causing the chronic pain in the first place, we also want our
patients to know that even the toughest clinical depression symptoms associated
with it are absolutely treatable. Reach out to your doctor, have courage
in asking for help. I can tell you in my experience as a physician, for
some patients – the asking for help can end up being the life preserver
that stops them from drowning in a sea of despair.
Sources:
Chronic Pain and Mental Illness: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health-2015/index.shtml
Mental disorders among persons with chronic back or neck pain: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304395907000462
Chronic Pain in adolescence and childhood heightens risk for depressive
and anxiety disorders: http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26901806