guilt

Don’t Feel Guilty About Your Chronic Pain Condition

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

guiltyRoughly 1 in 5 people deal with chronic pain on a regular basis, and a significant amount of them feel guilty about their diagnosis. There is absolutely no reason you should feel guilty about your chronic pain condition, but the fact of the matter is that we talk about overcoming the stigma or guilt associated with a chronic pain condition with patients all the time.

So many people feel guilty about fighting a daily battle with chronic pain, but why do they feel this way, and what can we do to overcome these feelings? We try to answer those questions in today’s blog.

Why Do We Feel Guilty About Chronic Pain?

A recent study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology decided to take a closer look at the subject of guilt among chronic pain patients. You can take a closer look at the full study here, but we’ll jump to some of the takeaways. First, the team identified three main reasons why chronic pain patients felt guilty about their battle with chronic pain. They are:

1. Others assume that a patient’s pain condition is not legitimate – Oftentimes even after an official diagnosis, patients in the study faced questions about the legitimacy of their condition.

2. Others assuming that the patient is not managing their condition well – Some people felt like they were letting their doctor or their family down if they were not making progress in treatment.

3. Assumptions regarding how one’s actions affect others in terms of the person’s inability work or fulfill social roles – In other words, patients felt like others may view them as less of a co-worker or parent because their pain can sometimes affect their ability to perform certain duties within these roles.

When you look at those three reasons, we spot an interesting trend. Chronic pain patients are feeling guilty about how they come off to other people, like their friends, family, caregivers and doctors. How they feel they are being perceived by others is what’s driving these feelings, and that’s unfair.

So what can we do about feeling guilty about chronic pain? While it’s easier said than done, stop focusing on what other people think. The best way to do that is to focus on yourself. If you know that you are doing every thing you can to treat your chronic pain condition, than the opinions of others should feel less important. You know that you are trying your best, so those comments and suggestions shouldn’t get under your skin. And if they do, you can simply let them know everything that you are trying to get the condition under control.

Again, we know that it’s easier said than done to say “Don’t let what other people think bother you,” but if you’re truly giving it your best effort, it should be easier to shake off any feelings of guilt because you know that you’re doing all you can. You can only control your actions, so if you’re doing what you can, the thoughts and opinions of others shouldn’t hold much water. Trust yourself, commit to your rehab, and know that you should be feeling pride about your work ethic, not shame over other people’s misconceptions.

As always, if you have questions or concerns about managing your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn. He’ll treat you with respect and explain how to manage some of the psychological effects of chronic pain. For more information, give our team a call today at (952) 738-4580.

Overcoming The Guilt Of Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

chronic pain guiltChronic pain can leave a person feeling a number of different ways, but a recent study found that one emotion that many chronic pain patients suffer from as a result of their condition is guilt. Dealing with chronic pain should be bad enough without also having to feel guilty about battling the condition. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the more common reasons why chronic pain patients experience guilt, and we talk about how you can work to overcome these feelings.

Feeling Guilty About Chronic Pain

A recent study in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that chronic pain was oftentimes associated with poorer psychological and social functioning, and that oftentimes manifested in the form of guilt. But why are chronic pain patients feeling guilty about their pain? According to the study, several guilt-related themes emerged. Patients oftentimes felt guilty because:

Others Assumed Their Pain Was Not Legitimate – Many patients without a definitive diagnosis or those dealing with conditions that others struggle to empathize with may feel guilty for recognizing their own pain. Chronic pain is oftentimes tough to specifically identify, and if a person can’t point to a specific reason why their back hurts, they may feel like they’re a fraud because “anyone could say their back hurts without a specific diagnosis.”

Not Doing Enough To Treat Their Pain – Sometimes, despite our best efforts, chronic pain doesn’t respond to treatment like we hoped it would. Patients can sometimes feel guilty or like they are letting their friends, family or doctors down because they aren’t getting any better even though they are trying their best.

Guilt Over Help From Or Burden Unto Others – Patients sometimes feel guilty that they need to rely on others for assistance, or because they feel like a burden to others who have to take on more responsibility because of how chronic pain limits their ability.

It’s also important to note that guilt also manifested in the form of poorer physical outcomes. The study found that guilt correlated with worse physical functioning, greater disability and heightened fatigue, so guilt is both a mental and physical burden. This speaks to the importance of effectively treating these feelings.

Helping Chronic Pain Patients Overcome Guilt

So how can we help chronic pain patients overcome these feelings of guilt for the sake of their mental and physical health? As you might have guessed, it takes a careful and comprehensive approach. First, you need to connect with a provider who understands the physical, mental and emotional burden that comes with chronic pain. Dr. Cohn and his team understand all the ways that chronic pain can impact your life, and we know that it’s not just about treating the physical pain. We know how important it is to validate your pain and your experiences to help you overcome these feelings of guilt.

We can help treat the underlying cause of your chronic pain, but we can also set you up with cognitive therapies that help you understand where these feelings of guilt are coming from and how to validate your experiences so that you can confidently push those irrational feelings out of your mind. We also talk with patients about the importance of finding healthy outlets to discuss their frustrations or share their experiences so that chronic pain doesn’t leave them feeling isolated or guilty. It’s not easy and every patient requires a different approach, but it’s worth it in the end.

So if you are dealing with feelings of guilt related to your chronic pain condition, let us treat the whole you. We can help you overcome the physical, mental and emotional challenges you’re facing. For more information, or to set up an appointment with our clinic, give Dr. Cohn and his team a call today at (952) 738-4580.