Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting as many as 48 million people in this country alone. It can demoralize and depress both patient and family, especially when there is no effective pain control and no hope for relief. Improperly managed, chronic pain can lead to substance abuse (usually painkillers) and to acute psychological and emotional distress. Pain begets stress and stress begets pain in a wretched downward spiral.
Silver reviews the causes and characteristics of chronic pain and explores its impact on individual family relationships and on the extended family, covering such issues as employment, parenting, childbearing and inheritance, and emotional health. Silver treats aspects of chronic pain not covered in a typical office visit: how men and women differ in their experience of chronic pain, the effect of chronic pain on a toddler's behavior or an older child's performance in school, the risks of dependence on and addiction to pain medications, and practical ways for relatives beyond the immediate family circle to offer help and support to the person in pain.
1. What Is Chronic Pain?
2. Effect on the Couple
3. Intimacy and Sexual Activity
4. Work Issues
5. Childbearing and Inheritance
6. Growing Up with a Parent in Pain
7. Chronic Pain in Children
8. The Extended Family
9. Emotional Changes and Depression
10. Medication Dependence and Addiction
11. Diagnosing Chronic Pain Conditions
12. Traditional Treatment Options
13. Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Afterword
Appendix: Resources
Suggested Reading
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
Overview
Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting as many as 48 million people in this country alone. It can demoralize and depress both patient and family, especially when there is no effective pain control and no hope for relief. Improperly managed, chronic pain can lead to substance abuse (usually painkillers) and to acute psychological and emotional distress. Pain begets stress and stress begets pain in a wretched downward spiral.
Silver reviews...