Thankfully I don’t live with chronic pain, but living with tinnitus has a very similar cycle
This is like when someone tells a depressed person ‘just dont be sad’ but I’ve had tinnitus for over a decade, mine could potentially be minor.
Dedicating a good amount of time to telling myself over and over that the noise didn’t exist in my head really helped my ability to deal with it. I don’t ever think about it or notice it unless someone says the word tinnitus and my brain keys in on it. If you haven’t heard about it before, the drumming on the back of your skill trick is also a real (if very temporary) fix for me and a lot of other people I’ve talked to.
It’s chronic, and it’s a nuisance; so it certainly counts.
I’ve had mine since I was probably a teenager. My 9-year-old has it too. He and I are not sure how he got it, and I feel bad for him having to deal with it so young.
Some days are better than others, in so far maybe I’m busy enough to not think about it. Other days, it’s front and center (like right now) and feels louder than usual. It’s the same feeling as with my chronic pain (broken elbow never quite healed right and constantly hurts).
I’m lucky to have both.
The pain gets worse every year, but I’ve been dealing with it for closing in on 50 years so… meh I’m mostly used to it.
The tinnitus has a similar timeframe but seems to be getting worse MUCH faster. And is so much more distracting and ruinous to quality of life.
They may be related: https://www.vice.com/en/article/vvb99x/now-we-know-what-causes-tinnitus-that-never-ending-ringing-in-your-ears
Chronic pain and tinnitus, the incessant ear ringing that affects up to 30 percent of the adult population, may share a common source, new research shows. The finding may bring millions of people who suffer from both conditions a step closer to finding relief.
Wow, thanks for that link.
Prefrontal cortex - IIRC that’s also the area associated with ADHD isn’t it?
Double-checked, yep, PFC malformation or dysregulation is the core of ADHD.
I suppose people with ADHD are more susceptible to chronic pain.
Here’s a great read on PFC dysfunction in ADHD, seems really much the same problem.
chronic pain leads to chronic pain meds. its the real doorway drug that ruins lives.
Absolutely agree. I find that marijuana helps. It’s not actually a good painkiller per se. Like at all. But when you’re more relaxed and chillin, it makes it a bit easier to live with the pain. Not for everyone though, but beats the risk of opiate addiction.
I was really excited when marijuana was legalized in my state because I thought it would work like a quick-acting, more-potent ibuprofen. Nope, I still have pain and now I have vertigo with the munchies. It’s a miracle sleep aid at least.
Yea, no. It’s a shitty painkiller rofl. It’s more of an indirect effect. For me at least, it releases muscle tension and that extra relaxation is often enough to decrease the pain. But it can also work against you in that if you’re anxious about the pain, it can amplify it and make it worse. So it really depends on the situation and the individual. Medical marijuana as an industry is kind of a fucking joke though. People shill it as curing cancer and straight make up bullshit.
Meh, everything I’ve read says that people dealing with chronic pain really don’t get the high like someone without chronic pain.
Having dealt with significant chronic pain for 30+ years, even the stronger drugs (like the oxy family) don’t do anything other than let me go about my day (though those do make me tired when they wear off).
When my friends or family without chronic pain take similar meds for something like post-op, they’re all kinds of wonked out - they get sleepy, disoriented, goofy, etc, at smaller doses than I take.
I don’t feel like that from the meds, just reduced pain, same with the people in my pain management group.
I’d say the greater risk is in these people, who only need it for a short time, so they do experience that “everything is alright” effect.
There’s some fascinating research these days, into how GABA works, and the interactions with dopamine and norepinephrine. Should help us understand these things better.
I feel this I’m my bones… and I mean that both figuratively and literally.
I’m in constant mild joint pain. Ibuprofen feels like god’s gift to let me be happy while staying off the prescription pain meds.
I’m sure you already know the dangers, but please be careful with ibuprofen. I was taking a few normal doses a day for a few weeks… It starts to make the world weird. Likely a mixture of the pain I was in, but my eyes and brain were having extreme difficulties just functioning after the 3rd week. Ended up having to just suffer with the pain till my tolerance (and side effects) wore off.
