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Karlie Hopping

Prof. Loudermilk

English 1201

26 March 2020

Why does chronic pain have such a big impact on your mental health?

Throughout all five of these sources, they all come to an agreement that your mental

health will inevitably be affected if you experience chronic pain. Many individuals struggle with

chronic pain. Although each individual's location of their chronic pain may differ, they can all

agree that their mental health has been affected because of it. “Living with daily pain is

physically and emotionally stressful. Chronic stress is known to change the levels of stress

hormones and neurochemicals found within your brain and nervous system; these can affect your

mood, thinking, and behavior. Disrupting your body’s balance of these chemicals can bring on

depression in some people” ( Mental Health America ). Those with chronic pain often see

multiple doctors and still do not get a diagnosis, which can affect their mental health more.

Treatment is hard for those who are struggling with pain that overlaps with anxiety or

depression, but there are things you can do such as hypnosis, relaxation training, and more.

There is no denying that a person who struggles with chronic pain has had mental health

challenges because of it. Chronic pain will affect a person’s daily life no matter what. “It can

affect your ability to function at home and work. You may find it difficult to participate in social

activities and hobbies, which could lead to decreased self-esteem. It is also common for people

with chronic pain to have sleep disturbances, fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite,

and mood changes” ( Mental Health America ). There are many scientific studies out there that
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have taken place on individuals who struggle with chronic pain, therefore, there are no

disagreements on this matter. However, some may disagree on how to handle it. For example,

while some think exercise may help decrease anxiety, others believe it to worsen it, specifically

if they experience pain while doing it. It all depends on the person, their pain location, and

whatever works for them. All sources emphasize that.

There is an immense amount of evidence supporting that people with chronic pain

struggle with mental health issues due to the impact that their pain has on their daily life. “In a

2006 study, 77% of people who suffered from chronic pain reported feeling depressed. Over

85% of chronic pain patients said that they had difficulty sleeping” ( Florida Medical Center,

2020 ). To help these individuals, more people need to become informed about this issue, more

doctors need to be aware of how much these individuals struggle every day without knowing a

diagnosis sometimes, and more mental health resources need to be available for those that

struggle with chronic pain. Many people forget about the individuals that struggle with both

physical and emotional pain, so a change needs to be made. When many people forget about the

individuals that struggle with both physical and emotional pain, that puts another strain on the

chronic pain patient because on the outside, sometimes it is impossible to see something

“wrong”, therefore outsiders may berate them or not believe them. However, despite

appearances, chronic pain is a very prevalent issue for many that affects individual's quality of

life and ultimately their mental health.

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Works Cited

Brea, Jennifer. “What Happens When You Have a Disease Doctors Can't Diagnose.” ​TED​,

www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_brea_what_happens_when_you_have_a_disease_doctors_ca

n_t_diagnose?language=en​.

“Chronic Pain and Mental Health.” ​Mental Health America​,

www.mhanational.org/chronic-pain-and-mental-health​.

Harvard Health Publishing. “The Pain-Anxiety-Depression Connection.” ​Harvard Health,​

www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-pain-anxiety-depression-connection

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Pain, et al. “Psychiatric Aspects of Chronic Pain.” ​Pain

and Disability: Clinical, Behavioral, and Public Policy Perspectives.​, U.S. National

Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1987, ​www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219250/​.

“The Psychological Impact of Chronic Pain.” ​Florida Medical Clinic,​ 21 Feb. 2020,

www.floridamedicalclinic.com/blog/psychological-impact-chronic-pain/​.