~Pain Psychologists

 

Poll Question: Have you sought the help of a Pain Psychologist?

     I see alot of mention of Pain Psychologists these last few weeks. I am wodering how many of your have included a Pain Psychologist as a part of your chronic pain management.

     For those of you that have, what aspect / tools helped you the most with management of your chronic conditions?

      I saw a Pain Psychologist for a very long time. I would have to say that some of the most important emotional aspects of my therapy was learning to give myself realistic expectations of chronic pain management and learning to effectivly communicate to my physicians and doctors what I was experiencing physically and emotionally. Of course, Cognitive Behavioral Training and Biofeedback were of great importance aswell and took up the majority of time I spent with my pain psychologist. Those two techniques helped me a great deal in self management of Chronic Pain. They also came of great use to my physicians. I highly recommend that anyone experiencing Chronic Illness of any kind, seek the assistance of an experienced Pain Psychologist.

       I stumbled across a very nice article that I think will help others to understand the role of a pain psychologists in Chronic Pain Management.

http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org/articles/703/psychological-factors-and-pain

 

I saw a pain psychologist last year to help deal with my depression and teach me how to use meditation to overcome pain, plus provide me with someone to rant to. She was really good but I only had coverage for 6 visits.

Now I am being referred to a pain management clinic where there will be a team approach. I'm crossing my fingers that it will work for me. I do feel very insular at times, locked in with my pain days. I'm hoping it will give me a way out of those dark days. I found the hydro therapy brilliant because of the company as much as the physical help it provided, Being with others in similar pain was so good for me. Also used up my free visits, but I'll go again once I am elligible too.

Thanks for the article Dani, you're always thinking of everyone else, you're a very special person, golitho

Again it is I,
I for one don't know what that type doctor would do, is he/she a hypnotist or someone who would ultimately talk you into believing that you are not really in the pain that you claim to be suffering from? We all feel pain differently, this is the truth and I can't imagine what a psychologist could possible explain about what you or I have been suffering with. Could someone explain what said occupation would foster for the multitude of suffering humans on this planet?

I am open here, what would that person bring to the table? Yes, for all intent and purpose I am ignorant to that occupation as I have never heard of said aspect of pain management, again will someone please explain it to me?

Respectfully,

Mike1X 

Post Edited (Mike1x) : 2/7/2010 11:11:19 AM (GMT-7)

Mike,
A trained psychologist, clinical social worker or counselor can teach a variety of skills that we can use to help with our overall pain management. Actually, hypnosis can be one of those skills, but it's more in the form of deep relaxation or biofeedback that you learn to do on your own. Or forms of meditation. Relaxing the body can help pain from worsening, depending on the cause, although I'm not saying it's a cure.

Also, strategies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help us make decisions about how we are going to live with the pain; in other words, the pain is going to be there, and maybe can be managed with medications or other treatments, but we can have more control over how we think about the pain, and how much weight we give to it in our lives. It's definitely NOT about someone denying that we have pain, but helping to learn as many coping strategies as possible.

PaLady