IFA Healthy Advice Column

The Emotional Price Of Back Pain?

Have you been in a funk, not understanding the reason for your bad moods and lack of energy? Are you
isolating yourself from others because you never know how you will feel from moment to moment? Have
you noticed that friends and family members have backed away from spending time with you? Is living
from day-to-day becoming more and more of a burden, with no light in sight? If you have answered yes
to any of these questions, you may be experiencing a medical illness known as depression.

Chronic pain and depression are two of the most common health problems that health professionals
encounter, yet only a small percentage of studies have investigated the relationship between these
conditions (Currie and Wang, 2004).

There are key differences between chronic pain and acute pain. The nervous system processes chronic
pain differently that acute or “immediate” pain. Acute pain occurs as a result of an incident or
event, e.g. you fall down the steps and sprain your ankle. Chronic or “long term” pain happens over
time and wears on the individual physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, often with no
end in sight, causing the individual to feel more and more pessimistic.

The first step in changing pessimistic thought patterns and associated emotions is to understand
what you are going through when experiencing a depression. The good news is you have the ability to
make changes that will affect the way you feel and experience life on a day-to-day basis. Are you
ready to release the depression and re-experience having fun, laughter and pleasure with your family
and friends? Of course you are, so read on to begin shifting your life in an upward and more
positive direction.

WHAT IS A DEPRESSIVE DISORDER?

A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the whole person; mind, body, spirit and emotions.
It affects the way a person perceives himself as well as his perceptions of the world, resulting in
pessimism, hopelessness, sadness and often times anxiety.

Common Myths about depression:

Depression …
- is a personal weakness
- reflects laziness or unwillingness to actively participate in life
- is a diagnosis that is untreatable and incurable

These myths are unfounded and represent the opposite of the truth about depression.

WHAT IS THE PERSONAL IMPACT OF DEPRESSION?

Depression…
- often causes insomnia, leading to fatigue, and agitation
- often leads to social isolation
- can lead to job dysfunction, causing financial difficulties
- coupled with chronic back pain may cause gastrointestinal distress
- can create memory and concentration difficulties
- can cause a lack of interest in sexual activity

ARE YOU DEPRESSED?

It is important to understand that depression and sadness are different. The death of a loved one,
loss of a relationship, termination of a job, including retirement, will cause us to feel sad. Grief
is a normal response to these situations. Individuals experiencing challenging times will often
remark that he or she feels depressed. However, sadness, grief and depression are not the same.
Feelings of sadness and grief will lessen with time while depression can continue for months and
years, if untreated.

Does this seem like you?

Read the following list and put a check mark next to each symptom that you are experiencing:

- I am really sad most of the time
- I don’t enjoy doing the things I’ve always enjoyed doing
- I have difficulty sleeping at night
- I often feel fatigued
- Getting up in the morning is challenging.
- I feel better as the day goes on compared to when I first awoke
- My eating habits have changed: Generally, I eat more than usual or I eat less than usual
- I have very little, if any, sexual energy
- I am very forgetful throughout the day
- I find it hard to focus on the simple things of life. Even counting change has become challenging
- I often feel angry
- I feel anxious, and fearful with no apparent reason
- I prefer to stay alone rather than socialize
- I feel pessimistic about life in general, and am not sure I want to continue living
- I feel disappointed in myself
- I feel bad (physically and emotionally) most of the time
- I have thoughts about my death
- I think about how I might kill myself

If you checked any of these boxes, call your doctor.

Note: Source for list – National Institute of Mental Health/NIMH (some revisions)

HOW IS DEPRESSION TREATED?

Medicine: Antidepressants may take several weeks before you begin to feel better.

Talk therapy: Talk therapy helps you to change the way you think, feel and behave to support you in
feeling better.

WHAT CAN I DO TO FEEL BETTER?

A four step plan to enjoy life and find fulfillment is outlined in my book, Tune Into Love.
These four steps include:

1. Create “feel good” moments
2. Identify your desires (desires such as “I want to feel better”)
3. Activate your intentions (intentions are strong desires coupled with strong belief that you can
have what you want)
4. Release the outcome

TIPS FOR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING WHILE MOVING THROUGH A DEPRESSION

- Set reasonable goals for yourself
- Set priorities; do what you can
- Break large tasks into small ones
- Take everything at your own pace
- Stay connected with others
- Take walks and exercise if acceptable to your physician.
- Shift pessimistic thinking to hopeful thoughts.

WHERE CAN I GET HELP?

Dr. Margaret McCraw;
http://www.margaretmccraw.com/counseling.htm
Institute of Vibrational Synchronicity (IVS)
877/366-9111
Phone Consultation

National Mental Health Association
http://www.nmha.org
703/684-7722
Information & Resources

National Institute of Mental Health
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
866/615-6464
Information & Resources

National Alliance for the Mentally
http://www.nami.org/
800/950-6264
Information & Resources

For more information on controlling chronic back pain and how to treat it effectively, read the
latest Back Pain Advisory from The Healthy Back Institute. You can get a free copy of it here: http://www.losethebackpain.com also available free access
to the back pain forum and a free audio recording “ 7 Mistakes Most Back Pain Suffers Make”

Submitted by:

Name: Margaret McCraw, PhD
Date: 01/31/07 at 20:45
Email: mccrawarticles@yahoo.com
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