Quote:
Originally Posted by invisable
I feel depression setting in pretty rapidly. I am on 60 mg. of Cymbalta, but please some encouraging words would be appreciated.
These constant pain, burning, abnormal sensations, etc.....are not only painful, annoying and disturbing, but the thought of them being with me for the rest of my life is leaving me very depressed. The only time I am not feeling something is when I sleep (with the help of Valium).
I am only 53 years old, I'm sure most of you with non-length dependent are about my age, maybe younger.
I find myself looking at my friends, etc....my age and actually feeling jealous, resentful, not nice thoughts!
How do you cope with this day in and day out???????
It has been a year and a half for me and I am starting to lose it!
Knowing it is progressive and with no cure just puts the cherry on the cake!!
Sorry for such venting, but wow this is tough!
Any words would be appreciated!
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Chronic pain patients (and others) go through 5 - 7 (depending on the source) stages similar to those of grief:
Shock or Disbelief
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Guilt
Depression
Acceptance and Hope
Not everyone goes through all of them - they may skip one or two - and not everyone goes through them in the same order. There may be something on them on one of the boards here, or you can search for
stages of grief on the web and read a few of the articles to get a better understanding of each stage and what to expect.
People in chronic pain can also experience a phenomenon where pain, depression, and insomnia (and/or sometimes other symptoms) feed off of each other. Pain interrupts sleep cycles, which can cause depression, which in turn adds to the perception of pain.... etc. This is known as the
vicious cycle. Search the web for
chronic pain vicious cycle for more articles about this phenomenon.
Knowledge is power - and empowering.
There's a common element in each of the replies already given that are the key to most people's coping - distraction. Distraction can take many forms, but taking your mind off of the pain and focusing on things that bring you joy is the crux. It becomes a full-time job in some cases, but it's how we all cope - one way or another.