one more article

[Guest guest]

And here's one from Hopkins linking chronic pain and depression:

http://www.hopkins-arthritis.som.jhmi.edu/mngmnt/depression.html

(this article also discusses the analgesic affects of antidepressants.

OK, I'll stop now, but I did want to point out that what you are

feeling is as PHYSICAL as psychological and can be treated medically

as well as by talking and dealing with it!)

A biological vulnerability to affective disorder in patients with

chronic pain is also supported by studies of biological markers.

Decreased REM latency, decreased serum melatonin and lower density of

3H-imipramine binding sites on platelets have been found in patients

with chronic pain (Blumer et al. 1982; Magni et al. 1987; von Knorring

and Ekselius 1994; von Knorring et al. 1983).

Depression is not simply a comorbid condition but interacts with

chronic pain to increase morbidity and mortality. Depressed chronic

pain patients report greater pain intensity, less life control, and

more use of passive–avoidant coping strategies. They also describe

greater interference from pain and exhibit more pain behaviors than

chronic pain patients without depression (Haythornthwaite et al 1991;

Herr et al. 1993; Weickgenant 1993). The presence of preoperative

depression in patients undergoing lumbar discectomy was predictive of

poorer surgical outcome at 1 year follow–up (Junge et al. 1995). In

patients with rheumatoid arthritis, depressive symptoms were

significantly associated with negative health and functional outcomes

as well as increased health services utilization (Katz and Yelin 1993).