Living with Chronic Pain and Depression: Finding Strength Through Therapy and Self-Compassion

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Stacey shares her story of living with chronic pain and major depressive disorder—a difficult combination that millions face every day. She opens up about how years of fibromyalgia, depression, and exhaustion left her struggling to keep going, until therapy helped her reframe her life with mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion.

We explore how chronic pain and depression create a vicious cycle, why seeking the right therapist can make all the difference, and what it means to rebuild your life when you can’t return to who you once were. Stacey reminds us that resilience isn’t about “fixing everything,” but about finding new ways to live with honesty, courage, and kindness toward ourselves.

If you or someone you love lives with depression and chronic pain, this conversation offers both practical insights and emotional support.

Primary Topics Covered:

• The connection between chronic pain and depression
• How fibromyalgia impacts mood, energy, and daily life
• Why therapy is essential when medication alone isn’t enough
• The role of mindfulness and acceptance in healing
• Learning to be kinder to yourself through self-talk
• How stigma and “pushing through” worsen mental health
• The importance of building a supportive care team
• Why teaching others how to treat you is part of recovery

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction and opening reflections on resilience
 01:41 – Meet Stacey: A story of chronic pain and depression
 02:31 – The overlap of pain and depression explained
 03:38 – Stacey’s life before illness and how everything changed
 05:27 – Living with fibromyalgia, depression, and seasonal struggles
 07:03 – When pain and depression feed into each other
 07:35 – Finding a therapist after years of failed attempts
 08:47 – Learning mindfulness to interrupt negative thought cycles
 09:42 – The role of acceptance in living with chronic pain
 10:21 – How fighting reality can make symptoms worse
 11:09 – Advice for others living with chronic pain and depression
 12:32 – Learning self-compassion and teaching others how to treat you
 13:12 – Closing reflections and reminder of Suicide Prevention Month

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