Chronic pain is pain that lasts for more than a month. Once compared to an undead cancer, chronic pain is a heavy burden to live with. And the depression that builds up on top of it – one of the most common problems faced by chronic pain sufferers – makes that burden even heavier. The Dreaded Game of Two: Chronic Pain and Depression If you have both chronic pain and depression, don’t fret, you’re not the only one so unfortunate, as chronic pain and depression often overlap and are a very common problem. The most common psychological problem among chronic pain sufferers is depression, and it often complicates the condition and treatment of pain sufferers. See the following statistics: 1. The American Pain Foundation reports that approximately 32 million people in the United States have pain lasting longer than one year; 2. More than half of pain patients have complained to their doctors about their depression 3. An average of 65% of depressed patients also complain that they are in constant pain; and 4. Patients whose ability to take care of themselves is limited because of their pain are especially vulnerable to depression. Depressive disorders in patients with chronic pain are often easy to underdiagnose and, as a result, frequently go untreated. Pain symptoms and complaints are often the focus and center of most physicians’ consultations, but it turns out that depression is accompanied by sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, lack of energy, and decreased physical activity-all of which can make pain worse.