Chronic Pain, Depression, & Addiction: Breaking the Pain Cycle with Psychological Treatments
By: Dr. Hannah Mitchell, PhD, MPH Chronic pain, or persistent pain that frequently interferes with life and professional activities, affects approximately one in five people in the United States.1 Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons individuals seek medical care. It is often a symptom of common chronic conditions including but not limited to arthritis, fibromyalgia, cancer, diabetes, and injury/trauma. People with chronic pain may experience reduced quality of life, poor mental health, and addiction. The Pain Cycle For many people, pain is increased and maintained by a “pain cycle” by which physical pain leads one to disengage from meaningful life activities (e.g., work, social obligations, physical activity). Disengaging leads to negative emotions or depression symptoms (e.g., sadness,