Chronic Pain. Fibromyalgia. Arthritis. So many have to deal with the accusation that it is “all in your head.” Even if said with the best intentions, this statement is gaslighting at it’s finest. It is telling those with pain, that what they feel and experience isn’t real. Which, of course, we know it is.
What does “all in your head” even mean? That phrase is usually slung to imply that there is some psychiatric reason for the pain. That somehow the person (usually a woman) is “crazy.” Sadly, this phrase isn’t always just from our friends or family, but also from those we go to for help, our healthcare providers. The intent may not be to belittle or push aside but it hurts nonetheless. In our hurried medical world, it isn’t just easier for the patient to take a pill for all their ailments, but it’s easier for the doctor. When given 10-20 minutes, there is hardly enough time for anything besides writing a prescription. When thinking about the science of chronic pain, I keep coming back to one conclusion…it IS all in our head. Because our brain is in our head! Oversimplifying? Yes. But still helpful. Learn more about how science tells us the nervous system is implicated in chronic pain: keep reading or watch the video above
[Read more…] about Chronic Pain & The Nervous System