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Terminal pain is described as a combination of four interrelated types
of pain; physical pain, emotional pain, social pain, and spiritual
pain. It is important to first control physical pain, because it
affects our ability to cope with al other aspects of our lives.
Unrelenting physical pain increase social, emotional, and spiritual pain. Spiritual agony increase physical pain, making the pain more difficult to manage and control. Devastating emotional pain exacerbates pain in all other areas. We will be examining some of the most common psychosocial and spiritual problems experienced by the terminally ill patients and their families. Please note, that the four types of pain are separated only for purpose of discussion; in reality they are inextricably bound. Each terminal patient is a whole person struggling to cope with the crisis of approaching death. The struggle exists on all levels of being: physical, emotional, spiritual and social. What is Psychosocial Care? Psychosocial care concentrates on relieving the psychological pain and suffering experienced by terminally ill patients and their family members as they struggle to cope with the painful reality of approaching death. Just as physical pain may have several causes, such as nerve compression or bone involvement, so psychological pain may have several causes. Fear, sadness, grief, unfinished business, family problems, and many other difficult issues can result in psychological, or emotional pain. Financial concerns, isolation from family members, abandonment by friends, and language barriers are just a few of the many causes of sociological, or social pain. Because interventions to relieve psychological pain are so closely related to intervention directed at relieving social pain, the two areas are grouped together and referred to as "psychosocial" care. |