Hi everyone!
Just saw this thread. I too have chronic pain. It was a simple accident at work six years ago and I have chronic back pain ever since. About two years ago my right shoulder went out in sympathy! As a result, I have been unable to work for the past five years. I managed to get back on a part-time basis a year after the initial accident but the pain just kept getting worse so I had to go on sick leave again and I haven't been able to return since.
I have had four sessions of the nerve blocking injections and, apart from the first one which worked for about a fortnight, none of them have helped at all.
I attended a Pain Management Course in August of last year and, to be perfectly honest, the only thing I got out of it was meeting other people who were going through the same thing! A group of us have kept in touch and it really helps that there's others out there who know exactly what it's like and have experienced the same things, from professionals not believing you to friends and family saying something really stupid, albeit unintentionally, most of the time. For example, one we all got was; "Would you not do some voluntary work?!" Lads! If we could do voluntary work, we'd be at work!!!
I'm on a cocktail of painkillers as well. I think I'm immune to them at this stage. None of them work. I had bouts of depression before all this happened but since the accident, it has just gotten worse and worse. It's a vicious circle. I'm depressed because I'm in constant pain, the chronic pain fuels the depression and anxiety, and don't even get me started when a flare-up happens! I have to use a stick when walking and it could sometimes take a full five minutes to get in the door of my house.
Not that I'd wish this on any of you, but, I'm glad I found this thread and who knows, they may come up with a magical cure for all of us some day!