Understanding constant pain and thoughts of suicide

A person who lives in constant pain often experiences thoughts of suicide. They don't necessarily want to end their lives, but the continuous, unrelenting pain that they have to endure every day and night makes them think these terrible thoughts. They would do ANYTHING to just have one pain free day or to have the pain go away altogether. They oftentimes feel that if they just ended their lives, they wouldn't have to go through the chronic, debilitating, exhaustion, and constant aching that the pain puts them through day in and day out.

If you have ever had a bad toothache, imagine living with that pain 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no breaks, there are no surgeries to help, there isn't the chance to go to the dentist and just have the tooth pulled. These people have to live with this constant, sometimes stabbing, piercing, burning and many other types of pain all hours of their lives, every second. There is no way out for them except pain relievers to help dull the pain. They are never pain free, they are just aided in helping diminish it in ways that they can move about and try to go about their days as normally as possible. These people have to learn to put the pain to the side and concentrate on other things. Anything they can learn to do to help them forget for a few minutes is a huge plus.

Others who don't suffer in severe, constant pain do not understand the relentless pain a person goes through. No two people experience pain the same way. Everyone handles pain differently. Some have a higher pain tolerance than others. Some have just had to learn to deal with it, they have no choice.

Imagine yourself laying in bed, crying and hurting so much and nothing helps to rid you of your pain and you cannot sleep due to it. The thoughts that would race through your mind would either be to get more pain medication to help dull the pains or find some way to end the pain, and sadly even just end your life to get out of the pain. You cannot blame someone for having suicidal thoughts when it comes to continuous pain. It takes its toll on a person and their mind. It can literally drive you insane, give you so much more anxiety and stress, that it makes a person hurt even more. It is a brutal cycle that pain puts a person through.

Over time, your body builds a resistance to pain medications and they end up not even helping anymore. A person can end up so strung out on pain medications and muscle relaxers. Most people who live with chronic, constant pain end up being prescribed antidepressants and anxiety medications as well. The stress they cause themselves from the pain itself, from worrying about the pain, the anxiety of when the medications wear off or if they do not help, causes such anxiety and so many sleepless nights.

Again, try to put yourself in their shoes. Try to talk to them to understand their pain better. Listen and learn from how they describe their pain, their thoughts, and its effects on their everyday lives. Perhaps you can find ways to help alleviate some of the pain, stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc by just being there for your loved one who goes through constant, chronic pain. Whatever gets their mind off their pain, help them achieve that goal more often.

Whatever you do, don't think it's just all in their head or they're just being wimps. Have sympathy for the people who have to live with pain. If you were able to feel their pains, you would probably go out of your mind too and look for a way out. You should always be there for your loved one. Find them help, perhaps suggest therapy to learn coping skills to deal with their pain.

Depression is one of the most common problems experienced by those who live in constant, chronic pain. The depression can get so bad that they have suicidal thoughts and even suicidal attempts. Suffering is where pain and suicide meet. A person who suffers in pain needs a pain specialist to help them regulate their pain. Suicidal individuals and those with chronic pain share the same experience and thoughts of hopelessness. Recurrent stress and intense pain decreases endorphin levels in the brain, endorphin is the natural substances that relieve pain. This increases their vulnerability to all ailments. This must be offset. This is the function of pain management. Those who suffer with chronic pain need to be on antidepressants to help with the depression, anxiety and distress that the pain causes also.

More than 50 million people live with constant, chronic pain every day of their lives. Chronic pain is frequently under-treated and worse, many doctors simply ignore it. Chronic pain can be back pain, neck pain, sports injuries, car wreck injuries, migraine headaches, arthritis, debilitating diseases like fibromyalgia, and many other injuries and ailments. Pain can strike anyone at any age. Severe, chronic pain can kill, it's as simple as that. There are so many who commit suicide because they cannot take the pain anymore. Patients with constant pain attempt or commit suicide more than those who do not suffer in pain. These sufferers are two to three times more likely to attempt or even succeed at killing themselves as well. There are so many missed days of work, hundreds of millions of dollars spent on trying to relieve pain or purchase pain medications and find treatments to help lessen the pain. Sadly and unbelievably a lot of people in so much crippling pain look for assisted suicide from friends and family or even euthanasia or assisted suicide from physicians.

There are so many people who wouldn't even be able to get out of their own beds without the use of opioids. These pain medications allow a person to be able to lead halfway normal lives and get them out of bed each day. But over time, they build up a resistance to the medications and have to take several different drugs at a time to be able to relieve their pain. These chemical crutches from the powerful opium-like painkillers in high doses keep so many from being bedridden and/or suicidal. It is a miracle to so many and for others it is even more debilitating to their painful conditions. They become so strung out and dependent on the medications, that if they run out or can't get them anymore, suicide is their final and only answer.

If you know someone who is in severe pain or if you live with constant pain, you need to seek help. Talk with your doctors, be honest with them. Write a pain journal, tell how much it hurts, the thoughts you are having at the time, etc. Your doctor can refer you to a pain specialist who can help regulate and manage your pain. They will work together to get you on the right medications, treatments, and therapy to help you live as normal a life as possible. There is help and there are treatments that help you cope with the pain. Do not take your life or attempt to hurt yourself because you live in severe pain. Find the right team of doctors who can give you antidepressants for the depression, anxiety medications for the stress and anxiety the pain causes you, pain medications and possibly muscle relaxers to help alleviate your constant pain. Do not give in to the pain and do not give up. Seek help and learn to be a part of your own pain management team. Get therapy and learn coping skills. No matter what, do not take your own life, because there is help and there are other ways to manage chronic pain.