Chronic Pain
What are the common symptoms?
Pain is a natural response to injury, alerting the body to potential harm. When you burn your finger on a hot oven, the pain signals sent to your brain encourage caution, preventing further damage. This type of pain is temporary and subsides as the injury heals.
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However, chronic pain is different. It persists for three months or longer, even after the original injury has healed. In chronic pain, the brain continues to receive pain signals, creating a constant state of discomfort. This ongoing pain can significantly affect daily life, making work, hobbies, and relationships challenging.
Beyond physical discomfort, chronic pain often leads to emotional and psychological difficulties:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbances.
Why do I feel like this?
Living with chronic pain can feel overwhelming and isolating. Many people wonder why they feel anxious, frustrated, or even hopeless when pain persists. These feelings are natural responses to ongoing stress on the body and mind. Below are some explanations as to why chronic pain influences how you feel:
Physical Stress on the Nervous System
Emotional Impact and Frustration
Social Isolation and Loneliness
Cognitive Overload and Anxiety
Managing pain requires constant planning due to adjusting for medications, appointments, and physical limitations. This mental load can cause anxiety and fatigue. Worrying about flare-ups or future health adds pressure, making it harder to focus on positive aspects of life. Overthinking becomes common, further increasing emotional distress.
How does therapy help?
Therapy plays a vital role in managing chronic pain by addressing both physical and psychological aspects of the condition, empowering clients to regain control over their lives. It complements medical treatments, offering a holistic approach that targets the mind-body connection for long-term relief and improved quality of life. This is further explained below:
Cognitive Restructuring
Therapy helps reframe negative thoughts about pain, reducing emotional distress. Changing pain-related beliefs can lower anxiety and improve coping, making pain feel less overwhelming and more manageable.
Behavioural Activation
Behavioural activation encourages gradual engagement in activities despite discomfort. This reduces avoidance behaviours, boosts mood, and restores confidence, helping individuals maintain independence and prevent disability caused by inactivity.
Stress Reduction Techniques
Therapies like mindfulness and relaxation exercises decrease stress hormones that amplify pain. Lower stress levels improve sleep, mood, and overall pain tolerance, creating a positive feedback loop for recovery.
Improved Emotional Regulation
Chronic pain often triggers depression or irritability. Therapy teaches emotional regulation skills, enabling patients to manage frustration and sadness, fostering resilience and better interpersonal relationships.
Enhanced Coping Strategies
Therapy equips individuals with practical tools, such as pacing, problem-solving, and relaxation, to handle flare-ups effectively, reducing reliance on medication and improving long-term self-management.
Social Support and Communication
Therapy can improve communication about pain needs. Feeling understood reduces isolation and promotes collaborative problem-solving for better daily functioning.
What are the therapy options that Transformations Clinical Psychology can offer me?
Please contact us or follow this link if you would like to set up an assessment with a Psychologist at Transformations Clinical Psychology.
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FAQ
Q1. What happens in the first session? Do I need to prepare?
Your first appointment is 50–60 minutes. We’ll get to know you—what’s been hard, what you’d like to change, and what’s helped before. You’re welcome to bring notes or just come as you are; we’ll go at your pace. Please complete the online intake and consent forms beforehand. Sessions are available in person (Sydney) or via secure telehealth across Australia. We’ll finish with a clear plan and time for your questions. If you’re in immediate danger, call 000.
Q2. How do fees and Medicare/private insurance work? Do I need a GP referral?
You can book without a referral. If your GP provides a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate. We’ll check your eligibility and confirm your out-of-pocket cost before you commit. Private health (Extras) can’t be claimed with Medicare for the same session—please check your fund for coverage. If cost is a concern, let us know and we’ll talk through options.
Q3. Will my information be kept confidential?
Yes. Your sessions and records are kept private under strict legal and ethical standards. There are a few exceptions—if there’s a serious risk of harm, concerns about a child or vulnerable person, or a court order. If we ever need to share information, we’ll explain why, what will be shared, and involve you as much as possible.