Emotional Experiences Reported by Patients with Chronic Pain: the Suffering Through Metaphors Emerging From a Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: chronic pain (CP) is seen currently as a multidetermined phenomenon that involves an interaction of physical, social, cultural, and psychological factors. This conception makes clear how important it is for scientific research. Therefore, it is so importante to provide an integrated view of meanings attributed to life experiences for patients with CP, going beyond the fragmented reflections on body, mind, and social dimension. Objective: to discuss the meanings brought to emotional experiences reported by CP patients. Method: Clinical-Qualitative, a particularization of generic qualitative methods from the Humanities. The sample of participants was intentional and closed by the criterion of information saturation with 17 patients. The technique of semi-directed interview with open-ended questions in depth was used followed by transcription of the interviews. Qualitative Content Analysis has included both: free-floating rereading to unveil cores of meanings from interviewees' discourse and categorization in topics for discussion. Results: an accurate analysis has made emerge four categories. 1) The Mystery: portraits the difficult understanding and description from where the pain is and how it is. 2) The Chronicity: it takes account the awareness that there is no cure for their pain. 3) The Limitations: it represents the losses experienced in everyday, emotional and social life caused by the CP. 4) The Metaphors: it shows representations of this entity that causes so many problems on patient's lives. Conclusions:the mystery, the chronicity and the limitations from the pain seems to improve its meaning. This is expressed through the metaphors that reflects the suffering experienced.