The chronic pain experience is challenging for everyone involved. It is exhausting to live in constant physical pain, difficult for medical professionals to diagnose and treat, and nearly impossible for society to understand. In addition, due to the fact that pain is invisible, and often unpredictable, and immeasurable, those living with chronic pain often contend with feelings of isolation, severe mental health struggles, and in many cases, post-trauma. 

However, most medical treatments focus exclusively on the physical body, most mental health approaches only look at psychological well-being, and the traumatizing aspects of chronic pain and medical care often remain unexplored. In this reality, patients receive partial treatment that does not take into account the complexity of their lived experience. We know that physical and mental health are inextricably intertwined; chronic pain cannot be effectively treated without addressing the degree to which it impacts and is impacted by mental health and trauma. Left unaddressed, the mental health struggles of chronic pain further exacerbate physical pain and illness, and vice versa, creating a vicious cycle that can lead to the breakdown of personal identity, social support, and trust in the medical system.