Overcoming Emotional Trauma and Chronic Pain: From Pain to Strength

Many times in older adults and many cultures where mental health care are a stigma - a visit to the doctor’s office will reveal pain symptoms related to mental health issues. This leads to how emotional and psychological trauma can show up as physical pain. The science of pain is a complicated subject that has proven your brain and nerves can send danger signals even after your body has healed from injury, sickness or surgery. It may be time for you to coordinate care with your mental health care professional.

How Trauma and Pain Treatment Overlap?

People who have experienced trauma and pain typically choose avoidance as a solution. Fortunately it’s been found that facing both trauma and pain causes less problems. Confronting both with simultaneous treatment accelerates healing for both conditions. 

Does Counseling Help Chronic Pain?

In the past, exercise, physical therapy, rest, surgery and medications have all been ways of treating physical pain. With the latest research, counseling such as mind/body work and talk therapy are now successfully used for pain treatment. Examples of Mind/body work are EMDR tools and Mindfulness. 

In the Body Keeps the Score, Van Kolk reports that Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) can reduce pain, improve function, and lower fear and catastrophization. Education about what’s happening to your body reduces fear and uncertainty. These negative emotions are replaced with reassurance and empowerment.

Pain complexity and physical treatment.

Rape victims, battered women and abused children that have adjusted well to their past can still have fallout from past trauma. Van Kolk has found that when this population is under stress, they may re-experience their trauma all over again.

With PTSD, the body adjusts with cortisol to an imminent threat and goes into a hypervigilant state. It raises your heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar. It also reduces your body’s immune system and it’s ability to return to a normal state. This happens whether the trauma is in combat or civilian life. Your brain is stuck in hyperdrive. Recently doctors have been using a new treatment; two shots injected in the Ganglion nerves. They are attempting to heal the injury as well as the symptoms. The treatment is helpful for anxiety and depression too.

Whether going to your doctor or counselor for treatment, consider doing a holistic approach for quicker recovery. When you have coordinated care, you will experience faster and better results. 

Having chronic pain can affect your mental health.

Depression and anxiety are symptoms of chronic pain. Often people suffering from pain will develop negative coping skills to prevent further pain. They will isolate from their support system and avoid movement. Community and exercise are two effective and cost-free ways of overcoming or reducing physical pain.

Get help for your trauma and chronic pain. 

If you are stuck in chronic pain, call your trauma therapist in Denver, CO at 720-577-5985 for a free 15-minute consultation.  

References:

Pathways - referenced by https://www.pathways.health/blog/why-learning-about-pain-science-can-help-heal-chronic-pain/

Psychology Today - referenced by  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-psychology/201004/the-connections-between-emotional-stress-trauma-and-physical-pain

Stellate Gangliar Block - referenced by https://stellacenter.com/

Veterans Administration referenced by https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/continuing_ed/tx_chronic_pain.asp

Van der Kolk, Bessel (2015) The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Penguin, NYC, NY.