CHRONIC PAIN
Is your quality of life suffering due to chronic pain?
Do you notice that you’ve been withdrawing from attending events with friends and family?
Do you find yourself avoiding any movements, activities, and/or hobbies because of your pain?
Have you experienced negative thoughts about yourself, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness because of your chronic pain?
If any of these questions resonate with you, it’s possible that chronic pain may be negatively impacting your life. Chronic pain can interfere with your daily activities, social events, and your ability to take care of yourself and others. Chronic pain can also lead to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and trouble sleeping - all of which can affect your pain for the worse. When your body responds this way, it can make it difficult for you to break this chronic pain cycle.
The Difference Between Chronic Pain and Acute Pain
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage”. There are two different types of pain: acute and chronic.
Acute Pain: is pain that lasts less than 3 months; is a symptom; has an identified cause (body’s response to injury); and/or diminishes with healing and responds to treatment
Chronic Pain: is pain that lasts for more than 3 months; is a condition; may develop after an incident (may have a known or unknown cause); and/or persists beyond expected healing time and/or despite treatment.
Common Types of Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can come in various forms and appear across your body. Common types of chronic pain may include:
Arthritis/joint pain
Neck pain
Back pain
Headaches (including migraines)
Muscle pain (such as fibromyalgia)
Neurogenic pain (damages to the nerves or other parts of the nervous symptom)
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and how can it help with Chronic Pain?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) is a CBT intervention specifically tailored to help those with chronic pain.
The focus of CBT-CP is to improve the client’s quality of life and their functioning within their lives. Our therapist works with individuals to assess the psychological and psychosocial factors that affect their pain. CBT-CP also helps individuals change their thoughts and behaviors that are associated with chronic pain by learning about various pain coping skills. These behavioral practices help clients see what they are capable of, and can lead to their re-engagement in desired hobbies and activities. Working with a therapist to address negative thought patterns can also help individuals view their experiences in a more balanced and positive manner; therefore, contributing to an improved quality of life and mood. Learning new ways to cope with one’s pain can help decrease the effects of the chronic pain itself, as well as remedy the negative effects in other areas of an individual’s life.
Ready to move forward with scheduling an appointment for your chronic pain? Still have questions?
If you still have questions about how we support chronic pain or you are ready to take the next step for managing your chronic pain through CBT-CP, please click the button below and schedule a 15 minute consultation with our CBT-CP specialist, Taylor. She can help you decide what is best for you and your pain management and answer any questions you may have. You are not alone in this process and Taylor is ready to help support you in your pain management journey!
Please note: this service is only available for individuals experiencing non-cancer related chronic pain.