Pain and depression are two words seem to go together like peas and carrots.
It is not uncommon for someone with chronic pain to find themselves in a "funk" from time to time, and that "funk" can sometimes lead to outright depression.
While it is understandable how this can happen, it is extremely important to recognize the symptoms early to prevent this from happening before the depression gets out of control and leads to something much more devastating.
What is Chronic Pain? Are you hurt or are you in pain? Many of us have heard this on the sports field where pain is something you simply deal with and being hurt keeps you from playing.
However, for those experiencing chronic pain, just getting through the day takes every ounce of effort they have.
To be considered "chronic," the condition must last for a prolonged period of time.
This is not the occasional neck or backache, but a pain that lingers for months, even years.
It can be triggered by an infection or injury, but the pain itself seems to be incurable even after the original injury has been treated.
What is Depression? It is a well-known fact that Abraham Lincoln suffered from depression (called melancholy during his time).
Lincoln, amazingly, was able to conduct his daily business, though.
Unfortunately, for many people suffering from depression today, this is not the case.
This is not the occasional feeling of being "down," but a constant sense of fear, helplessness, dejection, sadness, or anger.
There are numerous types of depression, all with different symptoms and characteristics.
Some of these are: Dysthymic Major Depression Psychotic Depression Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD) Postpartum Depression Bipolar Disorder Symptoms of Depression It is important to recognize the symptoms of this condition early so the individual can be treated before it gets out of control.
Some common symptoms are: Always sad and/or lethargic Feelings of helplessness Constantly irritable Constantly fatigued, excessive sleeping Over or under eating (look for eating habits completely out of the norm) Suicidal thoughts (these can be verbalized) Treating the Pain (both mental and physical) Physically, chiropractic adjustments and focused exercises and/or stretching may reduce the amount of pain being felt and allow for some normalcy.
Mentally, using techniques such as guided imagery, hypnosis, and therapy may be helpful for some individuals.
As stated earlier, chronic pain does not go away, but some treatments may help alleviate some of the pain to allow for a normal life.