What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is any pain that lasts longer than 6 months. When it comes to chronic pain there is no contest for who has the most pain or who has had it the longest. If someone has been dealing with a painful toe problem, it impacts their life. Back pain, being centralized could affect the body more. However, even wrist pain can make one's day long and tiring. Then, there are people who suffer from mental health battles such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc., and the pain levels truly can't be measured. 

For those who do not have chronic pain, or haven't experienced any severe pain, they struggle to relate to what we go through every day. Some even make those hurtful statements like:

"You don't look like you have pain"  -  "It's all in your mind, just get over it"  -  "Why are you wasting the doctor's time"  and so on...

For many, chronic pain is usually invisible. We walk and talk like "normal" people. Sometimes we walk slower. Sometimes we need to sit more often. In others, their pain shows. Which is better and which is worse? It doesn't really matter. 

If you live with chronic, ongoing pain or a mental health condition this is a place for you. If you know someone who is living with chronic, ongoing pain or a mental health condition, please refer them to this website. It doesn't matter what type of pain it is, how severe it is, or how long it's lasted. Each person's chronic pain experience is unique and needs to be recognized.