Chronic pain is a sure-fire way to disrupt one's mental health and perhaps lead to a change in character. It will change moods, behaviors, and personality characteristics, and it will not take long.
Aside from this numbing of ambition and adventurousness, sufferers also become more anxious – worrying more and regularly second-guessing themselves. Patients with a long-term pain condition become more easily frustrated, in general, which can lead to a more “on-edge” or angry personality.
Within the general chronic pain population, a high level of harm avoidance is also reported. This personality feature refers to a tendency to be fearful, pessimistic, sensitive to criticism, and requiring high levels of re-assurance.
It can affect your ability to function at home and work. You may find it difficult to participate in social activities and hobbies, which could lead to decreased self-esteem. It is also common for people with chronic pain to have sleep disturbances, fatigue, trouble concentrating, decreased appetite, and mood changes.
However, chronic pain causes chronic stress, which means your body is overloaded with stress hormones that change the neurochemicals in your brain that affect your mood, thinking, and behavior. This may be why you feel more irritable or angry.
Part of the transmutation of pain into anger involves an attention shift - from self-focus to other-focus. Anger thus temporarily protects people from having to recognize and deal with their painful real feelings; you get to worry about getting back at the people you're angry with instead.
Chronic pain induces a multitude of harmful effects; recently it has been suggested that chronic pain is also associated with premature aging, manifested in shortened telomere length (TL).
People who experience chronic pain are much more likely to develop mood and anxiety disorders. Persistent chronic pain can make you feel depressed and hopeless, leave you feeling anxious as you ruminate over your condition, or result in an addiction to pain medication.
Negative emotions that sometimes accompany chronic pain, such as frustration and irritability, can also affect social interactions. One person's negative mood can influence the moods of those around them, making interactions unpleasant.
Researchers found that in people with chronic pain, a front region of the cortex associated with emotion fails to deactivate when it should. It's stuck on full throttle, wearing out neurons and altering their connections.
Adults reporting poor general health and adults with a disability experienced an exceptionally high prevalence of chronic pain (67.6% and 52.4%, respectively) and high-impact chronic pain (48.7% and 32.0%, respectively).
Dealing with chronic pain frequently results in a variety of struggles and frustrations. It may seem unimaginable to be happy unless the pain disappears. It is possible to feel joyful, despite chronic pain, by consciously practicing.
Chronic pain can significantly impact your moods and emotions because it causes chronic stress. When your body is in pain, it responds by releasing certain stress hormones and neurochemicals. This abnormal chemical reaction makes mood and behavior regulation much more difficult and can bring on anxiety and depression.
People often think of pain as a purely physical sensation. However, pain has biological, psychological and emotional factors. Furthermore, chronic pain can cause feelings such as anger, hopelessness, sadness and anxiety. To treat pain effectively, you must address the physical, emotional and psychological aspects.
Pain makes us turn inward
These inward-turning feelings can increase social isolation and loneliness. Many people who suffer from chronic pain find it very difficult to explain their feelings to those who do not suffer and may shut down even further. It's a vicious cycle.
Living with chronic pain can cause resentment, frustration and anger. These emotions can be directed toward health care professionals, friends, family members, co-workers, or even the individual themselves. Anger is one of the most prominent emotions when dealing with a chronic pain condition.
Chronic pain can interfere with your daily activities, such as working, having a social life and taking care of yourself or others. It can lead to depression, anxiety and trouble sleeping, which can make your pain worse. This response creates a cycle that's difficult to break.
Not only is BPD one of the most painful mental illnesses, but it's also intensified by stigma and being misunderstood by others. Fortunately, borderline personality disorder is a treatable condition, and the pain doesn't have to be endless.
Chronic pain leads to significantly decreased quality of life, reduced productivity, lost wages, worsening of chronic disease, and psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. Patients with chronic pain are also at a significantly increased risk for suicide and suicidal ideation.
Total life expectancy varies only slightly by baseline pain states but pain-free life expectancy varies greatly. For example, an 85-year-old female pain-free at baseline expects 7.04 more years, 5.28 being pain-free. An 85-year-old female with severe pain at baseline expects 6.42 years with only 2.66 pain-free.
Research published last month in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimated that more than 51 million people – more than 20% of US adults – have chronic pain and 17 million – almost 7% of adults – have high-impact chronic pain.
Key findings
Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain both increased with age and were highest among adults aged 65 and over.
While there are many reasons for anger to become a constant in your life, socioeconomic factors, chronic stressors, and underlying mental health conditions may all play a role.