Chronic Pain's Common Myths
Approximately 50 people with chronic pain were asked what they thought were some myths about chronic pain. Here are some of their answers, sorted into categories. I've added a few that I have heard others express over the years.
1. Where it is
- It's all in your head
- It's purely physical.
- Medical science can cure anything. If they can put a man on the moon, they can fix my pain.
- If you are not getting a cure, someone is holding out on you.
- The doctors don't care, or else they must have missed something. Maybe both
- If the doctors won't explain something properly, they are hiding something
- You have to know exactly what is wrong medically to get better
- Doctors have all the answers.
- The doctor is always right.
- The doctor is never right.
- Better not do things that hurt
- I just have to push myself harder all the time. No pain, no gain.
- You can't work if you have chronic pain.
- Besides, no one would hire you.
- No one ever felt as bad as you. No one could understand.
- If you don't get better you are either faking or else you enjoy pain somehow.
- You deserve the pain because of something bad you did.
- You look so good! How can you have chronic pain?
- You can't have a good laugh if you are hurting
- No one is as badly off as you are
- I should blame myself for getting hurt. Pain is my punishment for making a mistake.
- I can't do what I did before, so I must be useless
- I should look miserable so that people will know I'm hurting
- It will get better if you ignore it.
- Pain medicine will definitely help chronic pain.
- Nothing I do can affect my pain, it's too late.
- If it hurts, it is damaging you even more.
- If you have pain, you can never be happy.
- All pain is the same.
8. Insurance
- You must live your whole life in fear of being cut off. Don't let anyone see you doing something active.
- If you can do an activity once, you can do it for a living
- You should be paranoid of the insurance company
- Being off work because of pain is a holiday
- You'll get big bucks if you hurt yourself
9. Medications
- Narcotic medications are the only solution.
- Narcotic medications have no side-effects.
- Reducing narcotics will increase your pain
- Pain killers kill pain
- If I hurt, I should take a pill
- You need to be crazy to take an antidepressant.
- You will get addicted if you take narcotic medication.
- Taking medication would mean I'm weak. I'm not a "pill person".
- Medications are all the same, and all useless.
10. Exercis
- All exercises and physiotherapy are the same
- All exercise makes pain worse
- All exercises are equally effective / ineffective.
- If it hurts to exercise at the start, it always will
- Don't pace yourself. Work on and on and push yourself harder through the pain
- The pain is someone else's fault; let them do something about it
- If you manage your pain, it disappears
- Pain management can't help
- There is always someone who knows better than you what you should do
- Pain is stronger than my will
I KNOW PAIN--I LIVE PAIN.
WHAT WAS HEALTHY?
I am not sure I really remember--my pain started when I was 8 years old.
I hid it because I feared my borderline mother. That is on me.
But I was a CHILD!!! I didn't know better and now I do.
I know I can get there....I
just NEED A HOME: CUZ
COME JUNE--I AM ON THE
STREETS
Newly diagnosed = grieving:
DENIAL
ACCEPTANCE
BUT I NEED TO
HAVE HEALTHY
MORE THAN THAT---I NEED
A PLACE TO STAY IS A GOOD START
TO BE ON MY WAY....
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