Comparison Of Chronic Pain And Anxiety

The perception of pain and the emotions that control intensity differ in individuals. Since feeling pain is somewhat adaptive, when one experiences it, he or she becomes aware of an injury and tries to remove oneself from the source that caused the injury. For this reason, pain is considered neuropathic or inflammatory in nature. Thus, when pain is the outcome from the damage caused to the neurons of the peripheral and central nervous system, then that pain is neuropathic. However, if the pain signals any kind of tissue damage, then the pain is inflammatory in nature. Due to various types of pain, the interpretation of pain by neurons and the source of that pain

Anxiety is defined as the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when you feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a stressful situation. A little bit of anxiety can actually help a person stay attentive and on track. If we did not feel a certain level of pressure at a job or school, then perhaps we wouldn’t care about it as much. We might slack or leave a few loose ends that may cause us to fall behind. A little bit is actually beneficial, but unfortunately there are people who have to deal with anxiety as part of a mental illness or disorder. There are different types of anxiety which include: general anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia.

Anxiety: The inward fear of a pending danger which is associated with phobia, and could be exhibited physiologically (Increased; Blood Pressure, Respiratory rate) and/or psychologically (agitation, insomnia, confusion). As humans, we suffer mild anxiety once awhile when we encounter a stressor and that does not require any attention but it becomes a problem when it turns chronic.

Pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pain is intense, short in duration and generally a reaction to trauma. Chronic pain does not go away, and can range from a dull ache to excruciating agony. Terminal and non-terminal illnesses can both be causes of chronic pain. Tissue damage is not always found in chronic pain, but those who suffer from it are rendered "nonfunctional by incapacitating pain," (Murphy, 1981).

“Pain is much more than a physical sensation caused by a specific stimulus. An individual's perception of pain has important affective (emotional), cognitive, behavioral, and sensory components that are shaped by past experience, culture, and situational factors. The nature of the stimulus for pain can be physical, psychological, or a combination of both.” (Potter, Perry, Stockert, Hall, & Peterson, 2014 p. 141) As stated by Potter et al, the different natures of pain are dealt with differently depending on many factors. Knowing this, treating pain can be very difficult as there is no single or clear cut way of measuring it; “Even though the assessment and treatment of pain is a universally important health care issue,

To most people, pain is a nuisance, but to others pain controls their life. The feeling discomforts us in ways that can sometimes seem almost imaginable. These feelings can lead to many different side effects if not dealt with or diagnosed. These effects can include depression, anxiety, and incredible amount of stress. The truth about pain is that it is vital to our existence. Without the nervous system responding to pain, we would have no idea if we were touching a hot stove, being stuck by a porcupine’s needles, or something else that could leave a lasting effect upon our bodies without us even knowing anything about it.

The definition of anxiety are a group of mental illness that cause people to feel excessively frightened, distressed, or uneasy. If it’s not treated within a person, it can lead to an affect on daily activities such as shopping, or going outside can be extremely difficult. In the past,

Anxiety — part of the body's natural reaction to stress — can even be helpful at times, making you more alert and ready for action. But anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of anxiousness. When feelings of fear or nervousness become excessive, difficult to control, or interfere with daily life, it's called an anxiety disorder. (www.everydayhealth.com) . This evidence relates to the types of anxiety because it is telling how anxiety can make you feel and act.

The physical aspect of pain can be healed over time, whereas the mental can’t. Mental pain require professional help in order to help cope, and in some cases mental injuries can last a lifetime. This type of pain is usually associated with emotional distress. Despite all this, pain is a survival skill that our ancestors devolved in response to the dangers they endured millions of years ago. This skill is called fight-or-flight

Anxiety can be a very serious (disease/disorder) it is simply defined as an abnormal fear or tension which can occur without any obvious trigger or session; a recurrence, unwelcome and intrusive thought. Anxiety can also be defined as a subjective state of fear or tension. There are two types of anxiety, anxiety can provide signals that alert the body to trigger it to improve mental and physical performance

Patients comorbidities create a lower tolerance to pain, due to changes in the way the spinal cord, nerves, brain process unpleasant stimuli causing hypersensitivity

So in this first paragraph, I will be going to answer the first question “ How does chronic pain influence feelings”. First of all Chronic pain is a pain lasts for a few months and might get woes over time. So chronic pain can limit your everyday activities and make it hard to work (MedlinePlus Staff). You might feel some stress and frustration you might end up feeling depressed. So when it does happen go to a doctor and get it checked. Sometimes when the chronic pain gets worse you will get stuck in bed you might get frustrated that you can’t do anything for yourself anymore. So if you get stuck in bed don’t get frustrated it will make things worse. So that is my answer to this first question.

According to MedicineNet.com, pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience and often causes severe problems for patients. Chronic pain is widely believed to represent disease itself. It can be made much worse by environmental and psychological factors. Chronic pain persists over a longer period of time than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments. Some tests that are being used to determine the cause of pain include: electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction studies and evoked potential (EP) studies; imaging, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); neurological examination, which tests movement, reflexes, sensation, balance, and coordination; or X-rays.

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage” (1979). Pain is actually the culprit behind warranting a visit to a physician office for many people (Besson, 1999). Notoriously unpleasant, pain could also pose a threat as both a psychological and economic burden (Phillips, 2006). Sometimes pain does happen without any damage of tissue or any likely diseased state. The reasons for such pain are poorly understood and the term used to describe such type of pain is “psychogenic pain”. Also, the loss of productivity and daily activity due to pain is also significant. Pain engulfs a trillion dollars of GDP for lost work time and disability payments (Melnikova, 2010). Untreated pain not only impacts a person suffering from pain but also impacts their whole family. A person’s quality of life is negatively impacted by pain and it diminishes their ability to concentrate, work, exercise, socialize, perform daily routines, and sleep. All of these negative impacts ultimately lead to much more severe behavioral effects such as depression, aggression, mood alterations, isolation, and loss of self-esteem, which pose a great threat to human society.

Chronic pain is defined as a pain that doesn’t go away for a long time. The pain can last for weeks, more than 3 months, years, and might make someone feel hopeless. Chronic pain does not relief with regular pain medication. It is important to address chronic pain because is physically and psychologically stressful. Its persistent discomfort can lead to irritation and frustration with the person’s self and with other people. Pain affects not only mental health but interfere also with someone’s sleep pattern.