Finding Relief: How Pain Management Therapy Can Alleviate Anxiety
We often don't realize how the physical and mental parts of ourselves interact with each other. But we are whole people. Our bodies and minds interact, which can lead to an increase in anxiety as we experience chronic pain. Likewise, when we experience anxiety, it can increase our experience of pain. For example, if you've had an emotionally stressful day, you may have noticed that your shoulders or back are tight.
Similarly, if you are feeling tense muscles, you may find yourself more anxious as you worry about when the pain will stop or how it will affect your ability to complete your tasks. Engaging in pain management therapy is one way that can help reduce both anxiety and pain symptoms. In this blog, we will explore how pain management therapy can help alleviate anxiety.
How Unmanaged Chronic Pain Can Cause Anxiety
Chronic pain can introduce several ways for anxiety to enter our lives. Chronic pain can make life feel unpredictable due to pain spikes or not being able to follow through with plans. This can lead to feelings of powerlessness, which is associated with an increase in anxiety. This can be further compounded by the fact that chronic pain can interfere with strategies we previously used to reduce stress such as exercise and going out with friends or even taking time for ourselves.
Dealing with a chronic pain condition often requires asking ourselves what we need and an increased need for setting boundaries with others. It comes with communicating with doctors, insurance companies, and people in our lives. This process can be anxiety-inducing as we may feel overwhelmed by the thought of having to explain and reiterate what we are going through. It can make it to where our thoughts are becoming overly focused on the pain to where the pain and anxiety become amplified.
Pain Management Therapy Can Help Reduce Anxiety
Pain management therapy in Dallas, TX is a beneficial form of therapy to help alleviate anxiety when it comes to chronic pain. It can help teach you how to look for patterns in your pain and behavior to better pace yourself so that your days are more even and predictable. It also helps you to take a look at your anxious and negative thought patterns that may be contributing to both your increased anxiety and increased experience of pain.
When you engage in pain management therapy, you will feel encouraged to develop healthy boundaries so you can feel comfortable asking for what you need. This allows you to gain a sense of control and can help reduce the feeling of powerlessness. Your therapist will also help you replace the activities you have lost due to chronic pain and stress which will include relaxation training.
Pain Management Will Help You Identify Your Priorities
Pain management therapy enables you to better identify your priorities so that it becomes easier to say “no” to activities and events. Especially ones that will cause you to feel anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. When you feel spread too thin, it can increase your anxiety and pain level. Pain management therapy will help you focus on healing, treat your body with compassion and respect, and increase engagement in meaningful, purposeful interactions. Engaging in pain management therapy, where you can look at the mind and body relationship is a beneficial way to help reduce the anxiety and gain support. You will be able to explore ways of working with your body in a way that is beneficial and allows you to better manage the pain.
Tips For Finding Relief
In addition to pain management therapy, here are some tips for finding relief when managing both anxiety and chronic pain:
Practice Relaxation Training
Relaxation training is a good method for calming down your nervous system when your anxiety is high and potentially causing an increase in pain. There are apps and online videos that can help you practice relaxation training, such as autogenic training, meditation, and visualization. Using this type of training will give you a coping skill to use to assist you in feeling more in control of the anxiety and help with the pain.
Have a “Menu” of Soothing or Distracting Behaviors
Having a go-to list of soothing behaviors or distracting behaviors that you can engage in when the pain is up can be beneficial. Knowing that you have some control over the pain, even if it is in small part, can decrease anxiety. Examples might be a hot shower, using an ice pack, calling a friend, listening to music, or petting your dog. This will take your thoughts away from the pain and onto something more calming and manageable.
Shift Your Mindset
When dealing with pain, our thoughts often shift to things that make the pain worse. Instead of focusing on that, try a gentle mind shift of asking yourself “When are my best times?" or "When do I tend to notice the pain less? Even if it's just a little..." Knowing that you have these times, even if small, can help keep the anxiety down and also give you a sense of power over the pain.
Listen to Your Body and Begin Pain Management Therapy in Dallas, TX Today!
Pain is your body's way of communicating with you. When it comes to managing anxiety and chronic pain, the more support you can give yourself, the better. At Sunrise Counseling, we recognize that you are a whole person and that the pain you are experiencing is unique to you. Our goal is to help you find the tools and skills that will work best for you in managing both anxiety and pain. That's why we also offer anxiety treatment in Richardson, TX alongside pain management therapy in Dallas, TX. Our counselors understand the mind-body connection and will work with you to find relief. To start online therapy in Dallas, TX, follow these steps:
1. Contact Sunrise Counseling
2. Meet with one of our caring therapists that specializes in pain management therapy
3. Start reducing your anxiety and finding relief from your chronic pain!
Other Mental Health Services in Dallas, TX
Pain Management Therapy is only one of the mental health services we offer at Sunrise Counseling. Our counselors understand that chronic pain often comes with anxiety and other challenges, such as depression. This is why we provide a variety of services to clients from our Dallas TX-based therapy office and the surrounding areas. Other mental health services we provide at Sunrise Counseling include: