Has living with chronic pain turned your life upside down? Have you ever felt scared, isolated or so overwhelmed and stressed that it feels as if your body can’t hold itself up anymore? It is natural to feel like you are spiraling out of control when absorbing a valid diagnosis. The information may be difficult and confusing to digest knowing there is no cure. You may not know what to think about the newly labeled condition, or how to explain chronic pain to family or friends. Maybe it’s hard to know how to prioritize and adjust your life to begin or continue your journey to recovery. Perhaps you are hesitant about not knowing which medical practitioners to trust; maybe, you’ve been misdiagnosed a variety of times and doctors have not believed your pain is real.
If these factors relate to you, I invite you to read about the benefits of receiving counseling to better meet your physical and mental health needs. Counseling fosters hope and inspires an individualized approach to reduce stress levels, improve pain management techniques and adopt a more balanced lifestyle.
Learning to Ground the Pain with the Support of Counseling
Living with chronic pain requires one to constantly adjust to changing circumstances. Chronic pain is as complicated and intricate as we are as human beings. Treating the condition and addressing mental health needs that interact with symptoms is a complex process, which may greatly improve with counseling.
Counseling offers an additional tool in one’s toolbelt of skills. The support may include aspects like psychoeducation and insight on how your lived experience grew intertwined with developing and sustaining the condition. Should you be interested in strength-based support to increase your abilities to reduce stress, improve self-esteem and empower yourself to better control daily pain levels to the extent possible, you have arrived at the right place. These learned skills tend to improve one’s ability to adapt to changed circumstances during flare ups or difficult periods in life where one’s pain grows heightened or spikes.
Having had 17 years’ experience battling the condition myself I’ve noticed my priorities, abilities and lifestyle radically changed. Flare ups and spikes may happen often, and it is not your fault. Juggling daily pain levels and dealing with flare ups are part of the ongoing sour aspects of pain management. All facets of my personal, academic and professional life are connected to and influenced by pain. Nearly 51 million of people in the United States also experience similar situations (Rikard et al., 2023). As an associate psychotherapist and certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC), I offer a unique perspective and insight of what you are going through. My personal experience inspired me to pursue the career of helping others and specializing in areas where millions of individuals lack appropriate support and knowledge to improve their situation.
Your individual needs matter, as well as, understanding aspects of how your medical condition interacts with your current situation (i.e., school, work, relationships etc.). Counseling, in combination with one’s medical treatment plan, inspires a higher positive outcome in the long-term, thus improving one’s quality of life and offering hope for positive change (Brodwin et al, 2009).
Why try counseling if doctors do not mention it?
Often as patients we are told that following the checklist of procedures, surgeries or medications will improve our situation. It is not uncommon for medical professionals to provide an overwhelming laundry list of medical treatments to complete, with the expectation that our situation may improve. For example, the conversation from a doctor may go as follows, “if we complete this list, we should feel better.” In turn, we desperately hope the advice is true and accurate. Yet, if the plan doesn’t work, then what? For many, we are left feeling increasingly isolated and living in what seems like an even deeper hole than before as we lack an understanding of how to regain control. It may also feel like we failed our treatment plan which should have worked, increasing our sense of guilt, shame and fear.
We do not experience pain in a vacuum. Growing anxiety, stress and feeling desperate to get through the pain can physically, emotionally and socially debilitate a person. There are many benefits of receiving counseling for chronic pain that are often left out of the conversation. Yes, many treatment options are medical in nature, yet the list typically lacks a holistic approach to address the intricate mental health needs we experience, such as implementing healthy coping skills, and regulating our levels of stress, anger or anxiety (Brodwin et al, 2009). These aspects deeply influence our situation, ability to cope, and managing the daily intensity levels of pain. If our mental health interacts with, and influences, how we perceive our pain, why not try seeking specialized support like counseling to address those unmet needs?
When you are ready to learn more and begin your journey to receive counseling, I invite you to reach out. I hope to hear from you soon and wish you luck on your journey of recovery.
Gabrielle Baylor, APPC, CRC
Having developed a severe chronic pain condition at a young age, Gabi adjusted her lifestyle to foster independence and success. As an associate psychotherapist and certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC), she offers a unique perspective and insight of what you are going through. Her personal experience inspired her to specialize in areas where millions of individuals lack appropriate support and knowledge to improve their situation.
References
Brodwin, M., Siu, F., Howard J., & Brodwin, E. (Eds.). Medical, psychological and vocational aspects of disability (3rd ed.) Athens, GA: Elliot & Fitzpatrick, Inc. (800) 843-4977
Rikard, S. M., Strahan, A. E., Schmit, K. M., & Guy Jr., G. P. (2023) Chronic Pain Among Adults – United States 2019-2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 72(15), 379-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7215a1
