Chronic Pain: Consult with a Psychologist in Melbourne

Illustration of diverse clients at Cova Psychology's Melbourne clinic, where psychologists provide professional care for depression and mental health support.

Pain is often thought of as just a physical issue, where we focus on the body and medical treatment. But pain is much more than that—it’s deeply tied to our emotional and mental well-being, as well as how our brain processes pain. Living with ongoing pain can affect your mood, how you think, and your overall quality of life.

Key Takeaways

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is a complex condition that affects millions worldwide. It’s pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks, even after an injury or illness has healed. Unlike acute pain, which is the body’s way of signaling something is wrong, chronic pain sticks around for various reasons, including injuries, chronic stress, or medical conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or nerve damage.

It goes beyond just the physical pain—chronic pain impacts every part of life, including your emotional health, relationships, and daily activities. The constant stress of living with pain can even make it worse, trapping people in a cycle where pain feeds stress, and stress amplifies the pain. Understanding chronic pain is the first step to managing it and improving your well-being.

The Psychological Toll of Chronic Pain

Emotional Strain and Mood Changes

Chronic pain doesn’t just wear down the body; it wears down the mind. People often feel emotionally drained, frustrated, or deeply saddened by the limitations pain imposes on their lives. Depression and anxiety are common, with rates of depression in people with chronic pain being two to three times higher than in the general population. The cycle of pain and low mood creates a loop: pain makes you feel worse emotionally, and feeling down can make the pain feel more intense.

Anxiety often arises from uncertainty—people fear their pain will worsen or that they won’t be able to cope. This can lead to avoiding activities they once enjoyed, which only adds to feelings of isolation and helplessness.

Cognitive Struggles: The “Brain Fog” of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain takes a toll on cognitive functioning, often described as “brain fog.” It can make it harder to concentrate, remember things, or make decisions. Pain uses up mental energy, leaving less for other tasks. The brain’s constant focus on processing pain signals reduces its capacity for problem-solving or handling complex activities, which can be incredibly frustrating for those trying to manage work or social situations.

Over time, this mental strain can erode confidence, making people feel less capable, further impacting their mental health.

Sleep Issues and Their Effects on Mental Health

Chronic pain frequently disrupts sleep, which is essential for both physical recovery and mental well-being. Lack of sleep can intensify pain and lead to irritability, mood swings, and heightened stress. This creates a vicious cycle: pain disrupts sleep, and poor sleep makes the pain feel worse. The result is often a cascade of worsening mood, decreased mental clarity, and reduced ability to cope with daily challenges.

Social Isolation and Relationship Strain

Chronic pain doesn’t just affect the person experiencing it—it can also strain relationships. Friends and family might not fully understand the extent of the pain, leading to frustration or misunderstanding. This can make people with chronic pain feel isolated and unsupported, adding to their emotional burden.

Chronic Pain Management

Managing chronic pain requires a holistic approach that addresses both the physical and emotional aspects. Effective pain management involves a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to the individual, which may include medication, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and psychological support.

Clinical psychologists can play a crucial role in helping people manage chronic pain. By teaching coping strategies, managing stress and anxiety, and improving emotional health, psychological treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness can help people change how they think about and respond to pain. These approaches don’t just aim to reduce pain but to help individuals live a meaningful, fulfilling life despite it.

Psychological Tools for Chronic Pain Management

Psychological tools are an important part of how chronic pain is managed. Effective pain management incorporates the mind-body connection, acknowledging the role of thoughts, emotions, and stress in amplifying or alleviating pain.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Pain Management

CBT is one of the most effective psychological treatments for chronic pain. It helps people recognize the link between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. For example, negative thinking like “This pain is ruining my life” can intensify emotional distress. CBT teaches people to reframe these thoughts and adopt healthier coping strategies, helping to reduce the emotional impact of pain.

Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Approaches

Mindfulness-based approaches, like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), help individuals change how they relate to their pain. Mindfulness encourages people to observe their pain without immediately reacting or judging it, reducing the added emotional suffering. ACT helps individuals accept the presence of pain while focusing on living a meaningful life, pursuing activities they value despite physical discomfort.

Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques

Since stress can worsen pain, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or guided imagery can help reduce pain by calming the body and reducing muscle tension. Biofeedback, a technique that teaches individuals to control physiological responses to stress, can also be beneficial for managing pain.

Addressing Sleep Issues with Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

Sleep problems are common in people with chronic pain, and CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) can help by improving sleep habits and reducing negative thoughts about sleep. Better sleep can improve mood, reduce pain, and break the cycle of sleep disturbance and pain.

Emotional Support for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be an isolating experience, especially since it’s often invisible to others. Having emotional support from friends, family, or professionals can make a significant difference. Therapy can provide a space to process the emotional toll of living with pain, helping individuals feel heard, understood, and empowered to manage their condition.

How do you treat Depression?

Psychological treatment is the most effective form of intervention for depression and research suggests that antidepressant medication is only recommended in moderate-severe cases, in combination with therapy.

There are a number of therapies that have been shown to be effective for treating depression. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has a particularly strong evidence base and is widely used to treat depression around the world. CBT involves helping you re-engage with your life by doing activities which give you a sense of enjoyment or achievement. It can involve working on lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, socialising, etc. In addition, CBT involves focussing on the person’s negative thinking in order to create more balanced, realistic thought patterns.

Beyond CBT, Schema Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) are also effective treatments for depression, particularly when the depressive symptoms are long-lasting or re-occur after period of remission. Schema Therapy helps identify and change deeply ingrained patterns, or “schemas,” that contribute to chronic depression. It combines elements of cognitive, behavioral, and experiential therapies to address these core issues. MBCT integrates cognitive therapy techniques with mindfulness practices. It teaches individuals to become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, fostering a non-judgmental attitude towards them. This approach helps prevent the recurrence of depressive episodes by breaking the cycle of negative thinking. At Cova Psychology, we provide these treatments to support lasting recovery.

At the onset of therapy, you don’t need to know which therapy to start with. Your psychologist will conduct a thorough assessment and you will collaboratively develop a treatment plan which will contain one or more of the therapies listed above.
If this page was helpful, our comprehensive blog post about depression treatment might also be of interest to you.

Summary

To summarise, in Melbourne, a variety of effective psychological depression treatment options are available including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other therapies such as Schema Therapy, ACT, and MBCT. Successful depression treatment often lies in engaging with an experienced psychologist who can tailor your treatment to your needs for an integrative approach. You are also able to involve your general practitioner (GP) and/or psychiatrist in your depression treatment and care.