GREENSBORO, N.C. — September is National Pain Awareness Month, and it's important to understand the far-reaching effects of chronic pain. Beyond the physical discomfort, pain can have a big impact on our emotional health and relationships.
Chronic pain can lead to a range of emotional challenges, including feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger, and frustration. The constant discomfort can be overwhelming, and some people might choose to stay quiet, meaning they don't talk or interact much with others around them. Chronic pain can impact the quality of life because of the pain; some people may not participate in all the activities that they used to when they were pain-free. In other words, they might lose interest in things that they used to like to do before they had chronic pain.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that if someone doesn't look physically ill, they must not be in pain. Chronic pain can be invisible, and the severity doesn't always correlate with outward signs. Additionally, some people may believe that pain can be "cured" with willpower or positive thinking, which can be harmful and invalidate the sufferer's experience.
Chronic pain can strain relationships in many ways. It can be difficult to understand the extent to which pain impacts someone if you don't have pain issues. It doesn't mean that you can't be empathetic. It means you may not understand completely because it can be difficult to understand the invisible nature of pain. The sufferer may not realize the ways that pain can impact their emotional health. They may not realize how much the pain takes away from their daily happiness and mood until they start feeling better, and it's almost like an "aha" moment because they're feeling better.
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