TMD Sufferers May...Avoid Socialization and Phone Calls (even when they don't really want to)
Like a lot of people who suffer from chronic ailments, people with TMJ (sometimes called TMJD and properly called TMD) can become very reclusive. It's not because they want to withdraw from society.
It's usually because:
1. Speaking literally hurts, so they avoid socializing.
2. Chronic pain can be very depressing. Depression zaps motivation to leave the house.
3. They feel guilty. They feel like their problem isn't as big a deal as everyone else's problem and they don't want to be the center of attention or take away from anyone else's lives or special occasions.
4. They don't want to talk about what's going on with their diagnosis. Talking about it can literally be physically painful and it can also lead to feelings of depression. Secretly, we all wish we could just tell people to "Google it" when they want to know what TMJ is or how it works.
5. They're saving all their energy for healing or therapy. Trips to the doctor, treatments and therapies can really take it out of you. They may have one or more doctor's appointments every week. By the time the weekend rolls around, the last thing they want to do it go out because they're already tired from everything else.
I'm not saying those reasons are correct. I'm just giving you a glimpse into the mind of someone who suffers from this chronic pain, especially acute sufferers.
Do you suffer from TMJ/TMD/TMJD? Did I miss any reasons? Feel free to add them in the comments!
It's usually because:
1. Speaking literally hurts, so they avoid socializing.
2. Chronic pain can be very depressing. Depression zaps motivation to leave the house.
3. They feel guilty. They feel like their problem isn't as big a deal as everyone else's problem and they don't want to be the center of attention or take away from anyone else's lives or special occasions.
4. They don't want to talk about what's going on with their diagnosis. Talking about it can literally be physically painful and it can also lead to feelings of depression. Secretly, we all wish we could just tell people to "Google it" when they want to know what TMJ is or how it works.
5. They're saving all their energy for healing or therapy. Trips to the doctor, treatments and therapies can really take it out of you. They may have one or more doctor's appointments every week. By the time the weekend rolls around, the last thing they want to do it go out because they're already tired from everything else.
I'm not saying those reasons are correct. I'm just giving you a glimpse into the mind of someone who suffers from this chronic pain, especially acute sufferers.
Do you suffer from TMJ/TMD/TMJD? Did I miss any reasons? Feel free to add them in the comments!
Comments
Post a Comment