Go back to the last time you were in pain. It doesn’t have to be anything too dramatic, just a really bad migraine, or an annoying, constant pain in your back.. Now, would you have been able to focus on anything in that state? And how did you behave? You probably snapped at people, and you forgot what you should have been doing that day. What if that pain never went away?
How Pain Affects Your Pain Changes
Whenever you experience pain, the amygdala, which is the part of your brain that handles fear and stress, becomes more active, and stress hormones flood your system. This is actually a very useful response if you, say, touch a hot stove, because your body lets you know that what you’re doing is dangerous. But if you’re in pain all the time, your body is in that ‘danger’ setting 24/7.
As a result, you’re more irritable and worn down by things that haven’t even bothered you before. It’s common to get depression and anxiety because the brain can’t help but expect the worst all the time, and it feels like there’s no break in sight. And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s also the stress of being less independent.
You mightn’t be able to move properly, work, take a shower, lift a spoon… All those things most people take for granted. It’s even heavier for older adults, especially in care facilities, where injuries such as untreated fractures or bed sores in nursing homes, the physical pain is mixed with feelings of neglect and hopelessness.
The Cognitive Toll of Chronic Pain
Pain takes up a lot of space in your mind, leaving you with little to no room for focus or memory, which is why people with chronic pain usually can’t pay attention or forget the simplest of things. Their brain is overloaded as it is, and there’s no room for anything else. But that’s not the worst of it.
Pain has this annoying tendency of exaggerating itself in the mind, which is a process called ‘catastrophizing’. Basically, the more fixated the brain is on the pain, the worse it feels. Naturally, it also becomes harder to get out of the loop of negative thoughts because of it.
Research backs all this up. Studies have shown that parts of the brain responsible for cognition, memory, and reasoning are all closely tied to chronic pain. Furthermore, they show how chronic pain actually structurally changes these parts of the brain in a significant way.
How to Cope with Pain? How to Adapt?
You don’t have to sit there and put up with your life falling apart. You can adapt and, with the right support, keep the pain from taking over everything around you.
1. (Emotional) Coping Mechanisms
Therapies like CBT and mindfulness can make a huge difference. A big part of coping is admitting how heavy the pain feels, so don’t pretend that everything’s peachy. Accept those emotions because, in doing so, you loosen the grip they have on you.
2. Cognitive Strategies
Pain steals your attention, so the way to manage this is to shift your focus to small tasks or hobbies. This’ll distract your brain, and you’ll get some relief. Routines help, too, because they make life more predictable. Even thinking feels harder when you’re in pain, so try to keep your mind active, even if it’s just playing Candy Crush.
3. Social/Support Systems
One of the strongest tools at your disposal is the support from people who care about you and who won’t just judge you. This can be family members and/or a best friend, close friend, or even a dedicated support group (anonymous or not). IT could even be a therapist. You might be paying them, but they want to help you – it’s their job. The most important part of this is that you aren’t alone.
Conclusion
Pain has its own way of taking over the control of everything that we experience. It easily takes centre stage and becomes the MC of our lives. You could even say that it’s the ‘villain’ of your story. Pain is part of our lives and a part of us. The only thing that we CAN do is learn how to deal with it, to manage it, to cope. Our brain isn’t powerless; there are ways of fighting back – you need to have the will for it.
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