Being in so much pain, I feel very dept

PeterE

I have severe arthritis in my left knee, and the pain is unbearable, and I get depressed.
Do any of you feel the same?

dreamdaisy

This must be so hard for you, I am sorry. I know from experience that when pain is concentrated in one area it stands out so much more, its screams for attention are impossible to ignore. What pain relief are you taking, what walking aids do you use, and what exercise do you do to help your leg muscles stay strong and flexible?

I plunged into depression when my OA was diagnosed because, already having an auto-immune kind, I thought I had ticked that box on my to-do list of diseases to have. How wrong I was.😂 My GP prescribed an anti-depressant (this was back in 2011) and to this day I take a small daily dose because, as my rheumatologist reasoned, if I am stronger mentally I can cope better physically. I keep pain relief to a minimum as it achieves little and use distraction to keep myself from focusing on the pain. I am 23 years in so know how demoralising this can be. DD

PeterE

Hello. I’m new to Versusarthritis, thank you for your message.
From reading more posts I can see this is quite a normal situation, especially when you feel in pain. Let’s hope for the future and a cure.

Sharon_K

Hi PeterE

welcome to the forums I am sorry to hear you have been experiencing so much pain in your knee and that this is leading to you feeling depressed. Pain is very complex and it can be difficult to manage. You might find this section of our website useful

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/knee-pain/

It is also very important to look after our mental health and this section of the website might be useful for you

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/emotional-well-being/

Keep posting and let us know how you get on

Best Wishes

Sharon

frogmorton

Hi Peter
Welcome to the forum from me too. Pain is horrible and really can affect your whole life.
I went on a pain management course with Versus arthritis (then Arthritis Care) which really helped.
I hope you have a good GP and are getting help such as pain relief physio etc

PeterE

Hi. Thanks for your message. I’ve tried many exercises which none seem to help. I’ll ask my GP about pain management. Have been given pain relief in the past but nothing his given really seems to help. I’ve tried majorly of pain killers tablets, and supplements and acupuncture. I think knee replacement is the only option now.
Thanks once again for your help

dreamdaisy

All forms of pain relief merely dull the sharper edges: the stronger the relief the more you are removed from the pain, not vice versa. Pain is a major element with arthritis and the more you allow it to dominate your thoughts the worse it will seem to be. Nothing will completely remove it and it is definitely more apparent when only one or two joints are affected. DD

dreamdaisy

Hello, how are you doing today? DD

PeterE

Hi DD. Thanks for asking. I’m feeling a little better today thanks.
Hope you’re ok.

dreamdaisy

I am pleased to hear that you are at least a little brighter. Me? Thank you for asking, I appreciate it. I could be better, pleased I'm not worse. Take care. DD