The Connection between Chronic Pain and Depression

[Name of Author]

[Name of Institute]The Connection between Chronic Pain and Depression

Introduction

The paper aims to analyze the nature of the connection between chronic pain and depression and its implications for counseling practices. Millions of people worldwide suffer from chronic pain, but only a small part receives the suitable treatment. There is a lack of facilities and experts in this relatively new field of medicine (Ruehlman et. al., 2010). It is difficult to maintain a positive attitude when an individual is suffering from chronic pain, as this may become an overwhelming obstacle to maintain a stable mental health.

The conventional medical establishment has only recently begun research on the relationship between chronic pain and depression and still uses the outdated and mostly pharmaceutical remedies to treat depression-related pain, which in itself can actually worsen depression. Acute pain is a protective mechanism, and therefore usually disappears after a few hours or days - along with what caused it. However, chronic pain resists the cause for months or even years. It's an incredibly challenging thing for a patient to explain to others the impact of chronic pain (Schattner & Shahar, 2011).

Chronic pain can lead to depression when people realize that they will not be able to continue to live as they did before the pain came into the picture (Rudich et. al., 2010). Activities and aspirations as before helped with pleasure and social exchange ceases, and the isolation that this results in turning slowly into a depressive state of mind. The problem is exacerbated by a lack of understanding, even from the people who know it best depressed and who cannot understand that the depressive state is outside the control. Chronic pain is an experience that is unique in its scope, as each individual has their own pain threshold and its own view of their ability to manage their personal situation (Poleshuck et. al., 2010).

Background

For people suffering pain disorder is a dream, there is a sense of fatigue, impaired concentration and loss of appetite. These symptoms are also part of the image clinical depression. Clinical studies show that depression is a common consequence of diseases with pain. Every fourth individual has a limited social life; almost a third of the patients' pain loses independence. Fatigue, exhaustion, a limited sex life and concentration disorders occur as frequently. Chronic pain is often not only an accompanying symptom of an illness, but develops into an independent disease (Walters & Williamson, 1999).

The International Society for Study of Pain, in 1979, conceptualized pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is described in terms of tissue damage, real or potential. Pain is always subjective and each individual learns to use this term through its traumatic experiences. Depression may increase the pain, and make it more difficult to deal with (Poleshuck et. al., 2010).

Today, major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the world. Depression can worsen the course of several physical ailments. For instance, patients who have suffered myocardial infarction and ...