Dealing with chronic pain, depression,anxiety and PTSD - any tricks and secrets?

Shred1106 · ‎24-03-2017

Hi all

Hope this thread helps and excuse me if there is one along this line already.

I have been in pain now for some months - thankfully my GP hasn't given up on me but how do others deal with chronic pain. I find it is just adding to my feeling disappointment in what I cannot do and is preventing me balancing medications, anti anxiety measures and PTSD, I am having Physio, dry needling (acupuncture), medications and have tried ice, heat, relaxation and yoga but had to give the Yoga away because of my hip.

All and any suggestions welcome!

james1 · ‎24-03-2017

Hello Shred,

I should caveat that I'm talking from a friend's experience here, but perhaps I can share some of her story.

My friend suffers from endometriosis and gets crippling pain every month. She also has surgery induced diabetes after a lot of her pancreas basically just died. So between the two, her quality of life has fallen significantly and I can definitely hear similarities when you talk about your disappointment in what you cannot do due to your medical health issues. Her near-death experience in hospital has also led to PTSD which, as you can imagine, leads to crippling anxiety whenever there is a diabetes scare - and this can happen with relative frequency.

From what I've seen, there are two things which really keep her going: running goals and learning.

She's basically centred her life around these two things even though the running is tricky with diabetes, and the uni is hard with the stress. But she's done lots of research, is really proactive in making sure she has good supportive doctors, and has really just narrowed her life down to these aspects.

Perhaps you could do a similar thing. Try to find just a couple of things which, even if they are hard, you know are manageable with your health issues, and then really go for them.

As far as my friend is concerned, life for her is not about running when her blood sugars are stable, it's about stabilising her blood sugars so she can run. I've been on a run where her blood sugars started going crazy and she had to show me how to inject insulin just in case she had to go to hospital. There've been other times where she's literally near passed out on her own - yet she continues because she reckons it's worth the effort to do something she enjoys.

That said, it's really really hard. We talk every day and there are days when she's just wrecked and tired of it all. And this is still after 6 years, so I can imagine it must all still be such a shock for you to deal with. But it sounds like you're doing the best you can, and, well...it sucks to have those issues that others don't have to deal with 😕

James

Sophie_M · ‎24-03-2017

Hi Shred1106, have a look also in the Long Term Support section - one of our members Lost Girl has a long-running thread there about chronic pain management that you might find helpful to join in:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/long-term-support-over-the-journey/chronic-tension-headache-diagnosis-and-long-term-management

Guest_9809 · ‎24-03-2017

Hi Shred,

Like you, I also suffer from both chronic pain and PTSD (anxiety and depression comes hand in hand with this) and also OCD. I have a long term thread here where I discuss my PTSD, but I rarely discuss my chronic pain. So good on you for broaching this subject. There is a definite correlation between the two. Let me explain.

Were you aware that current research indicates that:

1. PTSD patients with chronic pain experience more intense pain and greater disability than pain patients who do not have PTSD?

2. The success rate for chronic pain treatment for people with PTSD is typically much less effective than for people who do not have PTSD?

3. Chronic pain patients with PTSD have significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and suppressed anger than non-PTSD pain patients?

Interesting isnt it? This all suggests that the presence of both PTSD and chronic pain can increase the symptom severity of both conditions. So basically Shred, we are 'up against it' from the word go .... unfair!!

It is helpful to understand how the two disorders maintain each other and to use strategies to minimize the subsequent avoidance that is so common with both conditions.

Like you, I have been through the whole spectrum of physio, chiro, osteo, acupuncture, anti-inflam, pain meds, nerve pain meds, heat, ice, relaxation, pilates, yoga. Done them all, with little, or limited benefit. Although my pain levels fluctuate I am still in varying degrees of pain 24/7 and quite restricted in my physical ability.

I have found my psychologist to be as effective as anything, but I am fortunate in that she specialises in both PTSD and pain management. CBT type treatment mainly, but also relaxation techniques. Other than that I take long term medication known to be effective for nerve pain, and strong pain killers only when I get desperate.

I try to practice mindfulness, which my psych got me started on. And I recently started a gym class of combined yoga/pilates and a little thai chi thrown in. Slightly self-modified so as not to re-injure, but I am finding it okay so far. Its a matter of knowing how far to push yourself without doing yourself further damage. I know there will be days I simply cannot do it, but I know there are benefits in persevering.

Its also important to eat well and to maintain a healthy weight.

I hope some of this information is helpful. If nothing else, you know you're not on your own. (-:

Taurus xx

Shred1106 · ‎24-03-2017

Thank you all for your responses. I am trying to do something each day but even simple things like walking are painful and I cannot walk now for more than 400 metres. Trying to find an activity that doesn't involve the hips or shoulders is almost getting ridiculous.

Sophie M - thanks also for the direction to the chronic tension headache section, I have looked there.Taurus, I try to avoid the heavy duty medication too as I am not allowed to drive when taking it and then my socializing suffers...but sometimes it is required just to get rest.

Any other thoughts folks?

Shred1106 · ‎30-03-2017

Well... been back to hip specialist and am down for surgery next Wednesday.Unfortunately it means I have to travel a couple of hours but, who knows in a few weeks I hopefully be able to walk more than 400 metres!

james1 · ‎31-03-2017

Hey Shred,

Oh that is very good news about the surgery (well...not the surgery itself, but what it means for recovery!).

Yes, I can understand the frustration you must feel when you have so limited movement in the very critical joints. Perhaps while you try to find something physical to keep you busy, you could consider keeping your mind intellectually stimulated. I'm not sure if you're a reader, but I find podcasts good for both readers and non-readers. There are also apps that you can use to learn parts of another language which can be a fun little exercise too.

But otherwise, perhaps it's a matter of speaking to your specialists to see what level of physical activity they think would be okay. It sounds like you're really itching to do something!

James

RobbieP · ‎02-04-2017

Hey Shred,

Im 20 years old and a current serving member of the Australian Defence Force.

I suffer from PTSD and depression. Chronic pain is the worst, I get bad headaches and pain all through chest, I found by conducting meditation, mindfulness and exercise I managed to stop it before it happened. here are some ideas that I found useful.

Mindfulness - Creating a calendar for things to look forward too, this reminds your brain of exciting things which is possible to release endorphins, other ways I used was by relaxing I used a app called 'insight timer' this was really good to do on a consistent basis, I managed to fit this in as a routine throughout my day this helped me focus on my tension in my body and in some sense by pass the pain.

Meditation - I used to light a candle and really concentrate on the flame and the smooth edges, I would then imagine my pain going into the flame and vanishing it into the flame.

Exercise - exercisers such as swimming and even walking in a pool can help you improve your chronic pain.

I hope I have helped, my examples are different but they worked for me, I really hope you find what you are looking for and if your looking for more examples there are many exercises on the internet related to Mindfulness, meditation and exercise.

Take care

Robbie.

Quercus · ‎03-04-2017

Hi Shred1106,

My heart goes out to you chronic pain is horrible in every way. I have an autoimmune arthritis which took 2 years to diagnose and only recently have I got medication that helps. I felt like I was 100 years old (I was 30) and at my worst could barely walk (and had a newborn to care for).

My psychologist told me to write down my fears and my disappointments and my anger and everything that I felt was unfair about my condition. She said sometimes we bottle it all up and carry on because those feelings aren't helpful to focus on. But my goodness did it feel good to just rage and vent and get all the toxic feelings out.

For pain I found it was better to set an alarm and not oversleep and to stretch during the night when my joints started to ache and seize. The physio recommended walking laps in a swimming pool too.

Keep hoping and trying and fighting and talking. I'm thinking of you and hope you find some relief soon.

Shred1106 · ‎17-04-2017

Thanks for your words James..sorry for the belated reply..Had lots to focus on.Walking has improved (albeit on crutches) but it remains that I will need a joint replacement for this joint as well.Since being home too, the opposite side has probably also torn...see the surgeon on the 27th..I hope not..Just got the other stitches out today.