Experts say that patients who are suffering often become anxious or depressed from the constant and unrelenting pain. The inability to hold a job, strained personal relationships, and loss of independence all contribute to the physical exhaustion and the frustration in these patients. Approximately 34 million people in the United States endure some form of persistent ache, often leaving them unable to perform the daily tasks that most people take for granted. Depression can amplify chronic pain, making the symptoms worse and even more intolerable. Some experts say that people with depression may actually be more susceptible to chronic pain.
Depression can amplify chronic pain, making the symptoms worse.
Many people with chronic pain and depression also have problems sleeping. Lack of sleep feeds into the physical exhaustion, exacerbating the pain and further disrupting everyday lives. The good news is that the use of antidepressants for treatment of these ailments does greatly improve the quality of lives. Most people think of antidepressants as medicines given solely to people struggling with a mental disorder. The stigma associated with mental illness deters chronic pain sufferers from experimenting with a treatment that has been proven to work.