11/04/2025
Pain can come in many different forms and shapes as well as intensity. It can be hard to truly understand how someone is coping or struggling. Pain especially when combined with other factors and circumstances can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate through, and sometimes individuals can often feel trapped. Mood swings are often caused when going through the ups and downs, and the people closest to the person tend to be the ones who feel the effects of those mood changes the most. Another factor to consider is that managing pain or chronic illness can be exhausting and medical burnout is a real problem that needs more awareness. There’s coping strategies that mentally can be exhausting to maintain on a daily basis when you are not feeling well. There’s also the ongoing doctor appointments, test, treatments, hospital visits, insurance plans and advocacy. There is often depression, anxiety or even fear at times over what is happening. Quality of life and the battle of what the individual wants to do and are physically capable of accomplishing, is forever ongoing. There’s a constant need to assess when to push yourself or when to rest, and the answer isn’t always clear. Guilt is another response to not being able to be reliable or the need to depend on others to help you. Overall, when someone is battling an illness or chronic conditions, there’s much more that is happening and being understanding and helping them through these challenges can be hard at times, but it makes the world of difference for that individual to know you are by their side and they are not going through this alone.