1. I’m a family physician and I’m treating a user who has rheumatoid arthritis. Could psychosocial support or psychotherapy help relieve her pain?

Yes. A person with chronic pain not only has to cope with pain but also with all the different ways it affects his daily life, at home or at work. This can cause a lot of psychological suffering and distress. The person is going through a difficult grieving process (grieving the loss of a healthy body, activities that he can’t do anymore, loss of income, etc.). He has a greater risk of developing a depressive disorder and so needs psychological support as much as he needs support for matters of a practical nature.

It has been scientifically proven that people who choose to undergo therapy to work on themselves in order to accept their pain not only see their quality of life improve, but also see their pain diminish.