Help My Hurt

Depression and chronic pain

by Marijke Durning, RN on May 13th, 2008

This post is part of the Health and Wellness Channel’s monthly theme day. This month, it’s hosted by Alicia over at Mental Health Notes.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Or - what comes first, depression or chronic pain?

It’s a legitimate question that many people have asked and are still asking. Many people with chronic pain have been diagnosed with depression; people with depression who have chronic pain seem to have more severe pain or more complaints of pain than do those who don’t have depression.

It may seem simple. If you have chronic pain, it’s easy to understand how you can become depressed. As you become more depressed, you can feel your pain more intensely and the vicious cycle has begun. But if it’s so simple, how do we find out what is causing what?

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Image: Newscom

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POSTED IN: Chronic Pain