Being perfectionist could get your chronic pain

A new study by Murdoch University in Australia affirms that Psychological factors They can play a crucial role in the experience and chronic pain management. For example, they observed that A bit of self -pity It can be of great help.

Concretely, the study showed that chronic pain is associated with significantly higher levels of perfectionism and Reduced self -pity levels. “We conducted this study because, although the association between stress and pain is recognized, little is known about the links between chronic pain and stress that arise from perfectionist expectations“says Dr. Graeme Ditchburn.

The study was carried out in two parts and involved 531 participants between 18 and 65 years who had informed to have chronic pain for more than three months, which was not cancerous or the result of a fabric of a recent wound that was still healing, and 515 individuals who did not report having any pain.

The most prevalent pain conditions among study participants were back pain, migraine and arthritis. “Those who suffer from chronic pain may feel frustrated by the difficulties that they are carrying out everyday activities and strive to achieve unrealistic or unattainable objectives,” says the researcher.

“In addition, they may also feel that others have expectations that are difficult to meet. Self -pity may reflect fear of judgment or self -criticism, perceiving the pain and load that causes itself as its own fault. This also has negative implications for perception of self -efficacy or confidence in one’s ability“, he says.

In turn, he adds, “these have both direct and indirect associations with the stresswhich has negative consequences for physical and mental health. “Thus, the findings suggest that interventions directed to increase self -pity and address perfectionist trends They can be beneficial for people who experience chronic pain.

The physical and psychological impact of a condition in an individual can vary depending on the type and number of pain conditions, so researchers suggest that future studies explore whether the type of condition and the degree of deterioration (as the individual and others perceive) are associated with perfectionism, self -compartment and self -efficacy.

You can read the study in the magazine Psychology and Health.