Back injury sufferers often know about the physical repercussions of the injury they face, and how this might impact their journey to recovery.
However, fewer people are aware of the fact that back injuries can also have major repercussions on a person’s mental state, too.
Chronic pain and mental health
The International Association for the Study of Pain dives into back injuries and pain after an incident. Back injuries can often lead to chronic back pain. Studies across the years have shown an undeniable relationship between chronic pain and all sorts of mental and emotional struggles.
For example, chronic pain sufferers also have a high overlap with sufferers of depression and anxiety. Chronic pain sufferers may also experience an increased risk of stress or trauma-based disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder.
The emotional and mental burden of facing pain every single day is extremely taxing, leaving people feeling mentally exhausted and incapable of doing the same things they used to because they simply do not have the energy.
The bleak reality of pain
It may also feel bleak to look into a future that could be full of pain because the recovery process for back injuries is not always predictable. It is difficult to tell a victim when their pain will begin to lessen or whether it will ever abate entirely.
To that end, people who have to suffer the chronic pain of a back injury often deal with a deterioration of their mental and emotional state, their social relationships, and even their ability to function in daily life. It is a difficult, painful situation to be in.
