Findings from the journal Frontiers in Psychology shed light on the link between pain invalidation and risk of depression. The study found that participants who felt invalidated in their pain experienced greater shame, and in turn, greater symptoms of depression. Pain is a subjective experience that is imperceptible to others. Because of this, people who are experiencing pain often have their pain downplayed by others around them, including nurses and doctors. This invalidation can show up in a few different ways. In some cases, an outsider acknowledges a person’s pain experience but does not …
