But I’m not fine.” We need the accessible parking spot but are afraid to use it “No one understands how much effort it takes to function at all, much less ‘normally,’ in spite of the pain. “On the outside I look normal and fine but trust me, I’m still in pain,” says Cheri G., 50, of Boulder County, Colorado, who lives with chronic migraine, fibromyalgia, and impinged nerves in her spine. Remember the old adage not to judge a book by its cover? Well it takes on a new twist in people with chronic illnesses. You can watch an informative webinar and sign up for a six-part series that dives deeper into chronic pain management strategies. Sound familiar? Then you’ll relate to what these people with chronic pain are saying.įor more information on what causes pain to become chronic and how to treat chronic pain using science-based strategies, visit our Pain, Explained project. “I tell people it’s like lifting a glass - anyone can do it for a while - but try to hold a glass in the air for days at a time and you start to get an idea of what I’m dealing with.” “People believe that they ‘understand chronic pain’ because they have also felt pain but it’s a completely different thing when it’s day in and day out for years,” says Monica C., 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, who has fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Explaining it to someone who’s never had to deal with it can be, well, painful. For one thing, chronic pain is not the same as acute pain. Why? Chronic pain is not something people like to talk about much - and those in pain are often encouraged to “suck it up” or “put on a happy face.”Įven worse, there is a lot of misunderstanding around chronic pain. Yet many people, including those suffering, are surprised by these stats. Chronic pain impacts nearly every facet of daily life and has been linked to disability, dependence on opioids, higher rates of anxiety and depression, and a reduced quality of life overall, according to the CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in five adults is living with chronic pain and it is one of the top reasons people seek medical care, according to a 2018 report from the U.S. If you’re reading this, you likely already know that there is a large - but largely silent - problem of chronic pain in America.
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