Overcoming Pain

Secondary gain is a psychoanalytic term which refers to perceived advantages or ‘gains’ patients derive from their symptoms, such as sympathy, attention, avoiding responsibilities etc. Unfortunately, this concept has been turned against chronic pain sufferers with the result that they are often left feeling like failures at best and criminals at worst. May et al (1999) has observed that the disparity between expressed symptoms, pathological signs and perceived disability in CLBP has led to the moral character of the suffer forming a constant subtext to medical discourse about the condition. For example, Nicholas (1996) writes; “a person seeking help for chronic pain could be said to be inactive with secondary physical deconditioning, to hold unhelpful beliefs, to be overly passive or reliant on others for resolution of his/her problems..” Wow. In a recent study where women chronic pain sufferers were found to have greater levels of disability than men, it was speculated that perhaps th...

  People with   chronic pain   communicate differently to well people. Tired, irritable and withdrawn, they are often reluctant or unable to talk about their feelings. Or they may talk in a kind of ‘code' and tell you they feel fine when they are really hurting. Sometimes they just don't have the words to describe how they feel. These factors can create frustration and often lead to a breakdown in communication between the pain sufferer those whose mission it is to try and understand them.. The following ‘communication tips' are designed to help you recognize and overcome the special obstacles that may occur when communicating with persons suffering from chronic pain or illness. 1. Listen! To really listen is one of the most helpful things you can do for a person in pain. Listening also involves more than just hearing what is being said. A good listener listens with their heart as well as their ears. They are able to read between the lines and interpret unspoken non-verba...