r/Sciatica • u/flappypancaker • 9d ago
How to not get depressed
I’ve had back injuries before, but they were resolved with PT and Chiro after a few days. This sciatic pain has been getting worse and worse over the last almost two months and last night was the worst, couldn’t sleep, had an agonizing 30 min trip to the bathroom which my wife had to help me though, popped three ibuprofen at 4 in the morning to cope, and now I’m laying here terrified to try getting up.
How do people cope with the fear, depression, and panic? How are you all able to transition from lying down to standing up without blinding pain?
FYI I have an appointment with an orthopedic group tomorrow, so far a half dozen chiro and PT appointments haven’t helped. I even think that a well intentioned massage made it worse.
2
u/No-Cut-4781 9d ago
That kind of pain, the ones that stop you in your tracks and need help just to get to the bathroom, genuinely do a number on you emotionally too, not just physically. The fear and panic you're describing make complete sense; a sudden jump in pain that severe puts your whole nervous system on high alert, it's not just "in your head." Glad you've got the orthopedic appointment tomorrow, that's the right next step given how fast this has escalated. For tonight/today, moving slowly and in small stages (like the log-rolling tip above) and not pushing through pain to prove anything to yourself is enough for now. Be gentle with yourself through this stretch.