What is Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain is long-term pain. It lasts months or years and can affect any part of your body. It interferes with daily life and it can affect an individual’s mood, confidence, patience and energy levels. Individuals may experience difficulties sleeping, or difficulties going to work or school or difficulties engaging in activities they enjoy. The most effective approach in Chronic Pain management is a combination of medications, therapy and lifestyle changes.
What is CBT and how can it help Chronic Pain?
CBT is an evidenced based therapy, this means it has been proven to be effective in working with many conditions including Chronic pain. CBT for Chronic pain helps people to understand the relationship between thinking, feeling and behaviour and how they interact with the pain. The CBT therapist will guide the individual to identify and challenge negative thoughts and behaviours that maybe making the pain worse. By managing the impact of pain on their lives individuals can improve quality of life and engage in activities they enjoy and experience a greater sense of control over the pain. Individuals will learn new skills such as pacing, relaxation and problem solving.
Start by noticing the signs
Do you worry when you are in pain? When you hurt do you constantly think about the pain? Is it hard to concentrate when you feel pain? When you hurt does it make you feel down? Do you have difficulties sleeping because of the pain? Has being in pain stopped you engaging in meaningful activity or going to work? When you are feeling pain do you go to bed? On good days do you try and get all the jobs you need to done and then do you crash then the next day?
Start by noticing the emotion, behaviour and reactions towards pain as this may help you to see how much the pain is impacting on you and how much it’s impacting on your emotional wellbeing. If you are finding things hard you could try confiding in a family member or a friend.
There are times when the support you need goes beyond what a family member or friend can offer and you may benefit from the support of a professional therapist.
Take the self-assessment quiz to help you decide if you need help
- Anxiety quiz (Take Our Quiz)
- Low mood quiz (Take Our Quiz)
- Pain quiz (Take Our Quiz)
How will I know if I am getting High Intensity CBT for Chronic Pain?
Check to make sure that you are getting a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist. The BABCP is the gold standard. You can find a therapist on the BABCP website.
Check to make sure that the CBT therapist has had additional training in Long Term Conditions, such as Chronic Pain. A fully qualified and trained CBT therapist can show you their relevant qualifications.
You should get a personalised treatment plan, which CBT therapists call a formulation. This will show the key factors that maintain the pain and the evidence-based treatments that will be used.
You can expect to collaboratively set goals and then work towards those goals. In between session tasks will be set to help you progress and reach your goals.
Kate and Alex practice High Intensity CBT, providing evidence-based interventions. There is no waiting list which means that individuals can get the High Intensity CBT help they need straight away. If you would like information on how they can support click the links below.