by Sadie Davis

Created on: April 14, 2009

There are so many people in today's society that suffer from chronic pain and depression. The two go hand in hand. Chronic pain can lead to depression, just as depression can lead to chronic pain.

The people who suffered first from chronic pain can develop depression for many different reasons. The first reason is the obvious one. They're in constant pain. Chronic pain can be debilitating. That pain can prevent them from doing things they once loved to do. That, in itself, would bring on depression. I find that people with chronic pain are often dismissed without help from their doctors. Just because the doctor doesn't see the pain, like in fibromyalgia, doesn't mean the patient isn't suffering severely. Some doctors more or less tell the patient that it's imagined or all in their heads. This is not true. The pain is very real. To be suffering in the first place, then told it's in your head in the second place can throw the person even deeper into depression.

Some people with chronic pain can't even get out of bed some days. They miss work. They miss interaction among people and even their pets. They have trouble doing the things that most of us take for granted. They may need someone to help them and then feel like a burden for asking.

On the flip side, depression can cause chronic pain. A person may become depressed over losing a job, losing a loved one, financial problems or even seasonal changes. When you are depressed, you seem to focus more on your body. You begin to get aches and pains that won't go away. The more depressed you get, the more pains you have. The more pains you have, the more depressed you get. It turns into a vicious cycle.

If you are depressed and hurting, no matter which came first, a great first step would be to try to get out of the house and be among friends. Friends who make you laugh are often the best medicine. It seems that when you're able to alleviate some of the depression, the pain is alleviated a little with it. Exercise is also a good way to relieve some of the depression and pain. If neither of these are options for you, a licensed therapist may be a good place for you to turn. They will listen and work with you to try to get to the root of the problem, then work on fixing it. You may opt for medicines. They're a good choice too.

The bottom line is, you don't have to continue to suffer in silence. Get out there and be heard. Laugh, exercise, take medicine if necessary. As you start to feel relief of one of the problems, the other should fall in line and start to feel a bit relieved also.

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