It is common for people living with osteoarthritis to feel a range of emotions. These can include stress and anxiety, low mood and depression, frustration and anger. Sometimes you may even have feelings of guilt and shame. These feelings are normal because osteoarthritis can have a significant impact on all areas of your life.
People can have significant pain and problems with daily tasks. Osteoarthritis can affect people’s ability to live independently, work, socialize and do the things that matter to them. Worry and fears about their condition and persistent pain are common. People can feel frustrated and angry that they have osteoarthritis and that it can’t simply be fixed or cured. So, it is normal to feel a whole range of emotions when living with osteoarthritis.
The good news is there are lots of things people with osteoarthritis can do to look after their emotional wellbeing.
When to ask for help
Sometimes this can be the first-time people have really struggled with their emotional wellbeing. Others may have struggled with their emotional wellbeing in the past, but living with osteoarthritis makes things even harder.
Importantly, our emotions can become a problem when feelings like anxiety, depression, anger, guilt are severe and lasting. And when they start to impact our day-to-day lives in a significant way.
When people start to have severe and lasting difficulties with their emotional wellbeing, it becomes important to seek professional help.
How many people with osteoarthritis are emotionally affected?
It is very common for people with osteoarthritis to experience poor emotional wellbeing.
For example, around 1 in 20 Australians experience clinical levels of depression and about 1 in 10 experience clinical levels of anxiety. People with osteoarthritis experience both depression and anxiety at 2 to 3 times the rates of the general population.1 This is very understandable given the impacts of osteoarthritis and the challenges it can cause in people’s lives.
Is emotional wellbeing important for managing osteoarthritis?
Our emotional wellbeing is very important. Poor emotional wellbeing and mental health are important health conditions themselves. They can affect all areas of our lives, including our physical health, and they benefit from treatment.
Poor emotional wellbeing can affect peoples’ ability to manage their osteoarthritis. It can make it harder to do things that are important for managing osteoarthritis like:
remain active and exercise
take our medications as prescribed
keep appointments,
eat well and maintain a healthy lifestyle
So, it is important not to ignore someone with osteoarthritis who is struggling with their emotional wellbeing.
What treatment can support emotional wellbeing?
Firstly, osteoarthritis needs to be managed as best as possible. Regular reviews and discussions with a doctor around the management of osteoarthritis can sometimes make all the difference. It is hard to maintain good emotional wellbeing when we’ve concerned about our condition and how it is being managed
There are a lot of options when it comes to improving our emotional wellbeing. For example, there are lots of simple things we can do ourselves. We cover some of these things below.
When our difficulties are more severe, there are also a range of treatments that can help, including:
Medicines to relieve symptoms.
Psychological treatments, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). CBT can help you to learn and develop skills to relieve symptoms and improve your mental health
Psychological pain management programs to learn and develop skills to understand and manage pain, and its impacts on our lives.
An important part of looking after our mental health and osteoarthritis is seeing your doctor regularly. Work with them to find out what is and is not working for you.2 Your doctor can provide helpful advice and guide you through the treatment options that are most likely to help you.
What can you do to help your emotional wellbeing?
If you are struggling with your emotional wellbeing, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself. Some of these may seem too simple to help, but when gently and consistently can make a big difference. You should aim to do these a little every day. These include:
Making sure to do pleasant and enjoyable things every day.
Staying social and getting involved in social activities.
doing regular exercise and physical activity.
Keeping how we think about things realistic and helpful.
Learning about emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Remembering to take time to relax and wind down regularly.
eating healthy, including wide variety of nutritious foods.
Having good sleep habits, including keeping a regular bedtime and waketime.
Limiting how much and how often you drink alcohol.
Talking and getting help and support from family and friends.
Most importantly, speak with your doctor or other health professional if you are really struggling with your emotional wellbeing.
Most people will struggle with their emotional wellbeing and mental health at some point in their lives, Health professionals are trained to help. Your healthcare team can give you more advice and information and help you to access treatments suitable for you.
Accessing face-to-face support and treatment for your mental health
If you are want face-to-face support for your mental health, the first step is to talk to your doctor. They will help you identify and access the best treatments and health professionals for you.
To find psychologists in your area, you can contact the Australian Psychological Society on 1800 33 34 97 or visit www.psychology.org.au
Other resources
State/Territory Arthritis Offices
Your local Arthritis Office can provide further information to assist you and will have a range of education and
support activities. Click here to find your local office.
Support organisations
There are many organisations providing easy-to-access information and support to people struggling with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Some of these are listed below:
For information, advice and resources on mental health:
- beyondblue at www.beyondblue.org.au or on 1300 22 46 36
- MindSpot at www.mindspot.org.au or on 1800 61 44 34
For telephone counselling and support:
- Lifeline at www.lifeline.org.au or on 13 11 14
- MensLine Australia at www.mensline.org.au or on 1300 78 99 78
For accessible online psychological treatment:
- ThisWayUp at www.thiswayup.org.au
- MindSpot at www.mindspot.org.au or on 1800 61 44 34
Podcasts:
https://shows.acast.com/joint-action/episodes/psychological-treatments-for-osteoarthritis
https://shows.acast.com/joint-action/episodes/does-mood-and-coping-affect-my-pain
References
1. Stubbs B, Aluko Y, Myint PK, Smith TO. Prevalence of depressive symptoms and anxiety in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Age and Ageing. 2016;45(2):228-235.
2. Hutting N, Caneiro JP, Ong'wen OM, Miciak M, Roberts L. Person-centered care for musculoskeletal pain: Putting principles into practice. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. 2022;62:102663.
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