Local support group for Chronic Pain
September is Chronic Pain Awareness Month. Chronic Pain is defined as ongoing pain with no biological value. Living with the condition can be difficult that’s why local women got together to form a support group.
After her diagnose, Karley Linger wanted to find a support group. The closest group was in Boise so she decided to start her own.
“I realized how little support people get because you look fine and they don’t think you’re in pain. It’s doctors, friends, family,” says Linger.
Chronic Pain is more common than you may think.
“Chronic Pain is a national health crisis. Approximately one hundred million Americans of adult age suffer from chronic pain, that’s roughly one in three Americans,” says Sarah Fedorff, a group member.
Those who live with it may feel isolated because nobody understands how they are feeling. It can be hard to live with especially for those in recovery for substance addiction.
“If you’re somebody like me that’s in recovery for addiction you can’t really take a bunch of pain pills. So what happens is you either have to take pain medication or you have to suffer in silence,” says Libertie Potts, a group member.
But with the support group, those living with chronic pain don’t have to be silent.
“Peer support helps to get you back into the community and try to cope with everything without isolating yourself and falling into your depression,” says Linger.
“Studies have shown that having a social support system actually makes people more resilient to chronic pain, utilizing less medications and having better outcomes,” says Fedorff.
“It’s a really good way to kind of get people together and talk about it, and my pain isn’t so bad when I’m hanging out with other ladies that kind of know what we’re doing,” says Potts.
The group meets every Monday at 3:00 p.m. At the Center for HOPE. The new location is next to the Behavioral Health Crisis Center. They encourage anyone who wants to join to stop by.
