I read today that the suicide rate for people living with chronic pain is five times higher than that of people in general. Five time higher! Those of us who live with this condition know what an emotional battle we face on a daily basis. When you live with pain day in and day out, it almost invariably leads to depression. And, for many, the battle with the pain, and the depression, becomes too much. Where is the outrage in this country? If another population was committing suicide at this rate, we would certainly be aware of it. We would be trying to find out why this particular group of people was prone to suicide, and we would be holding a walk or something to try and help bring awareness to the condition.
However, chronic pain sufferers don't need a study to understand why this goes on. We know that the emotional pain of this condition is often worse than the physical pain. We know the feelings of hopelessness when doctor after doctor tells us that they don't know what is wrong with us. We know the feelings of being alone because our friends and family have no idea what we live with. We know the desperation of not being able to find anything to relieve the pain, even for a short period of time. We know the loneliness when family and friends turn their backs on us because they either don't know what to do for us, or they are just tired of trying.
It really doesn't surprise me that the suicide rate is so high for us. One thing that must be stressed is that depression is not the cause of our pain. Our pain is the cause of our depression. And that depression is just as real, and as devastating, as the pain itself. It is so important that we recognize that depression can and should be treated. It is a medical condition and as such can be managed. Unfortunately, our society continues to look down its nose at anything considered a "mental illness". It's time that we get over that outdated idea.
If you are dealing with depression, it is so important that you reach out and ask for help. I suffer from chronic depression, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. For years, my depression was kept in check with a combination of medication and talk therapy. But when I started living with chronic pain, I discovered a completely new low for my depression. I dealt with friends and medical personnel alike who didn't understand what I was living with. I was told to "get over it" and stop whining. I felt alone and abandoned, and I really thought that I was the only one living this way.
Thank God for Facebook! It was through Facebook that I learned that not only was I not alone, but there were thousand of people out there facing the very same things I was facing. I developed a network of support. I had people who understood exactly what I was going through. I made friends who were ready to hold me up when the pain, both physical and emotional, became too great for me to bear alone. And I was able to offer that same support to others. And finding these fellow sufferers gave me something that I hadn't had in such a long time - hope.
The suicide rate for those of us suffering from chronic pain may be five times the national average, but we aren't alone. It is so important to reach out and ask for help. Finding others who truly understand what you are going through is more important than I can stress. Knowing that I am not alone has done so much to help lift me out of that depression. And I hope and pray that you are able to find that support for yourself. You are not alone, and there is hope.
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