Dual Diagnosis: Anxiety and Chronic Pain

Chronic pain often comes with a bonus baggage, usually anxiety. Chronic pain can make it difficult for you to move about and perform daily activities which can make you anxious about being a burden to people and hurting yourself again. If you find yourself suffering from chronic pain and anxiety as well, here are some tips that can help you deal with this dual diagnosis:

Get treatment for chronic pain.
The anxiety disorder, while also uncomfortable and debilitating, is not the root cause of your problem – chronic pain is. Whether the pain is caused by surgery or musculoskeletal problems like joint pain and arthritis, seek treatment for it. By lessening the intensity of the cause of the pain, you also minimize its psychological and emotional effects. The less you experience chronic pain, the more you will gain confidence about going back to your usual activities.

Manage symptoms of anxiety disorder.
Symptoms of anxiety disorder can range from shortness of breath, palpitations, excessive sweating, and vomiting to diarrhea. These symptoms usually surface when you are confronted by activities that cause you anxiety. For example, if you are anxious about going up a flight of stairs, you are likely to experience symptoms. Symptoms are triggered because you feel afraid of doing a particular activity or being in a certain situation. Manage these symptoms by practicing breathing techniques to calm your nerves and thought redirection. The latter refers to directing your thoughts to positive events instead of dwelling on negative “what-if” events.

Visit your doctor regularly.
You may be managing anxiety and chronic pain well on your own but you still need to visit your doctor for follow ups. This is essential in tracking your treatment progress. Your doctor can also suggest alternative treatments like massages to complement the chronic pain and anxiety management techniques that you are practicing.