Pain Disorders
Pain Disorder is a psychological diagnosis made when a person experiences significant pain in a certain part of their body, and where there is no physiological or neurological explanation for that pain.
This can include lower back pain, headaches, chronic pelvic pain and other kinds of pain. In many instances, patients with Pain Disorder will spend many years trying to understand the cause of their pain (overlooking the possibility of psychological causes).
It is understood that this kind of pain could be a manifestation or symptom of ongoing Depression and Anxiety, or long histories of medical or other trauma. It is therefore not uncommon for patients with Pain Disorder also to have symptoms like insomnia, irritability, decreased libido and weight loss. Psychotherapy is important in the treatment of Pain Disorder.
However, in making a diagnosis of Pain Disorder it is imperative to rule out all physical or neurological causes, and assess the length and severity of the pain. It is also important to be sure the pain is genuine, and cannot be accounted for by another psychological disorder.
