Breadcrumb trail
- Centre for Pain Medicine
- Pain Medicine
- Psychiatry
Contents
Psychiatry
Inadequate pain processing, disorders of emotional regulation, and psychic trauma play a central role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. In the Nottwil Centre for Pain Medicine, the psychiatrist’s main task is to recognise psychological disorders and determine their relation to the patient’s chronic pain. Numerous psychic disturbances such as depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders are found relatively often in pain patients. In particular, the vicious cycle of pain – anxiety – depression must be recognised and treated with multidimensional therapy; however, a number of psychiatric diseases manifest thamselves as pain, and must also be diagnosed and receive appropriate treatment.
Elements of the psychiatric evaluation in our Centre include a detailed determination of the psychiatric findings (psychostatus), drawing on the patient’s personality with its individual biography (history), understanding intrapsychic and psychosocial factors such as the patient’s job situation, problem-solving style, subjective perception of stress, and risk factors. Questionnaires, screening instruments, and scales are utilised in addition to the comprehensive discussion with the psychiatrist in order to gain as much information as possible.
If psychiatric treatment is indicated, this can be initiated and continued in our Centre; however, patients can also be referred to a local psychiatrist. A mainstay of treatment will be the selection of psychopharmacologic treatment that is compatible with the patient’s other medications and, in addition to the desired psychological effects, will have a positive influence on pain perception and modulation. In addition, psychotherapeutic individual or group therapy can be coordinated with the Psychology Department of our Centre.
