ADHD and chronic pain - How to get your voice heard
ADHD and chronic pain - How to get your voice heard
From migraines and fibromyalgia to neck, shoulder and back pain - People with ADHD are more likely to suffer from chronic pain.
Did you know that research shows a high link between ADHD and chronic pain? One study showed that a quarter of patients with fibromyalgia are also diagnosed with ADHD, whilst another study revealed that 65.9% of adolescents with ADHD suffer from chronic pain.
Those stats really got me thinking. Until recently, I had not identified myself as someone with chronic pain. It was only after learning about the comorbidity between ADHD and chronic pain that I realised my frequent migraines and neck pain are indeed chronic pain conditions. Turns out you don’t need to be in pain 100% of the time to call it chronic. Who knew?
Getting help for your chronic pain
Accepting my chronic pain has been hard, I don’t want to be someone who is constantly in pain. Plus, it feels like I’ve been given yet another label. On the upside, I am now taking my pain more seriously and am prepared to seek help. Which is of course no easy task for someone with ADHD. Having to make and remember appointments comes with added anxiety and stress. I worry I won’t be taken seriously and I know that many women, especially those with chronic pain, struggle to receive the support and treatment they need.
In the UK, a survey by the Wellbeing of Women charity found that over half of female respondents felt their pain had been dismissed or ignored by a healthcare professional at some point.
The gender gap when it comes to identifying and treating women’s pain is real, for example:
Women are less likely than men to have positive treatment outcomes for chronic conditions such as angina and musculoskeletal pain.
Physicians are four times more likely to recommend a knee replacement for a man than a woman with the same knee injury.
The dismissal of women’s pain leads to delays in diagnosis and treatments in many conditions including endometriosis and PCOS.
Most of us with ADHD and chronic pain have had our fair share of bad experiences. I’ve left my GP appointment in tears on more than one occasion. So yes, it can be really hard to summon up the energy (and executive functions!) to make another appointment but what if this time, you were listened to and got the support you needed?
Getting your voice heard
To ensure that your voice is heard by medical practitioners
point out how your pain affects your everyday life
keep a pain diary and bring it along to your appointment
bring a list of questions so you don’t forget what you wanted to ask
take notes so you can go back to them later or ask if you can voice record your appointment
consider bringing a trusted loved one. If you’re in the UK you can also ask for a patient advocate to support you
So if you’re living with chronic pain and haven’t got the support or treatment you need, pick up the phone and make that appointment!