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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
 Posted - 07/29/2013 : 16:00:32
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| The psychological impact of long term chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, RSD/CRPS, chronic back pain, sciatica, etc., is rarely discussed on this message board, but needs to be addressed more thoroughly. Here is a nice article as a beginning: http://www.drsallyduffy.com/Coping_With_Chronic_Pain_and_Illness.pdf |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
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Racer
USA
129 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2013 : 10:08:04
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quote:
Originally posted by shawnsmith
The psychological impact of long term chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, RSD/CRPS, chronic back pain, sciatica, etc., is rarely discussed on this message board, but needs to be addressed more thoroughly. Here is a nice article as a beginning: http://www.drsallyduffy.com/Coping_With_Chronic_Pain_and_Illness.pdf
Good article. Thanks for sharing. |
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Peregrinus
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2013 : 18:09:28
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Long term (years rather than months) chronic pain is almost by definition TMS. The cause of the pain (as we know) is psychological stress which in most cases is caused by a false identity: an identity that is not consistent with reality. In cases where the underlying identity conflict is not addressed the resulting pain will in time give rise to a new identity. The individual starts to see himself as an invalid with one or more intractable illnesses. The fee hungry medical and alternative care community is more than willing to provide pseudo scientific rationalizations for these beliefs. The individual develops a history, a mythology, a belief system, medical records and opinions, and substantial anecdotal evidence that he is indeed an invalid. In short, he develops a new identity that supplants his old corrupt identity that led him into trouble in the first place. He is no longer bothered by the contradictions inherent in his old identity: he is in too much pain to be bothered.
Paradoxically, the (false) invalid will experience new psychological stress when symptoms improve or when evidence suggests that there is no physical basis for a symptom since such evidence brings his new identity into question. This inevitably leads to new symptoms or worsening old ones. The invalid defends his new identity as tenaciously as he defended his corrupt old identity. Any suggestion that his symptoms are psychogenic is met with angry denial and claims of worsening symptoms. These individuals inevitably become dependent on constant and costly medical care, professional and/or alternative, which is almost always palliative.
These self-created invalids succeed in escaping from the stress generated by their old identities by creating a new and virtually unassailable identity. However this escape comes at the cost of a life of pain and misery.
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The psychological impact of long term chronic pain
