Online program | By: MindSpot

We know that living with chronic pain can be overwhelming and debilitating. Going to work or spending time with loved ones can become difficult, and you may have lost interest in activities that you once enjoyed. But there is support available to you.

The Chronic Pain Course can help you manage the impact of chronic pain on your day-to-day life and your emotional wellbeing. The course is not designed to ‘cure’ or ‘treat’ pain, but to help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

The Pain Course consists of five lessons over an eight-week period. It provides the information and practical skills you would normally receive from a mental health professional if you attended a specialist pain management clinic. You can choose to receive weekly therapist support during the course, or you can choose to contact us when you need to.

The lessons provide essential information and teach practical self-management skills to help you do the following:

• Understand chronic pain and how it differs from acute pain
• Recognise the cycle of symptoms involved in pain, anxiety and depression
• Break the cycle of symptoms
• Recognise and challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs
• Recognise and manage physical symptoms of pain, anxiety and depression
• Manage levels of day-to-day physical activity safely and confidently, despite pain
• Continue to manage your pain and emotional wellbeing once the course has finished

In addition to the lessons, the course includes DIY Guides to help you better understand and practise skills taught in the lessons. There are also lots of additional resources teaching other important and practical skills, as well as stories from other people with chronic pain who have previously participated in the course.

The Pain Course is recommended for people who:

• are 18 years of age or older
• are Australian residents
• experience symptoms of chronic pain and symptoms of anxiety, low mood and depression, who want to improve the management of pain and emotional wellbeing
• have at least four hours a week to spend working on the course and practising the skills.

^{NOTE: This online program is provided by one of Healthdirect Australia's trusted information partners. Please consider if this online program is appropriate for your own individual circumstances. There may be costs to use the online program or it may be free. You may also be charged for data from your telecommunications provider. For 24-hour health advice call healthdirect - 1800 022 222 or if you need help now these emergency and crisis helplines can provide immediate support.}