Alberta Health Services
Health Information
When you have pain, it can reach into nearly every part of life. Ongoing pain may lead to stress, low mood, or difficulty concentrating. It can also affect intimacy and relationships, and change everyday habits like sleep, exercise, or eating. There may be problems with finances because of missed work or paying for treatments. Your social connections can be affected if pain makes it harder to spend time with friends, family, or community activities.
Over time, this can all feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Knowing the many ways pain can impact life is the first step toward finding tools, treatments, and supports that can help you cope, find balance, and improve your overall quality of life.
While pain can affect many parts of life, there are things you can do and supports that can help you cope, stay connected, and improve your well-being.
Living with ongoing pain can make it harder to say what you need, explain your symptoms, or feel like others are really hearing you. Learning effective communication and skills to speak up for yourself helps you share your experiences clearly, build stronger support systems, and work more confidently with your healthcare team to get the care you need.
Learn interpersonal effectiveness through the DEARMAN skill set: Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, (Stay) Mindful, Appear Confident, and Negotiate.
When times get tough, it’s important to know how to express yourself calmly and effectively so you can get the help you need.
General information and tips around better communication.
Tools that can help improve communication about chronic pain with healthcare providers, with loved ones, and with employers.
Ways you can be a more active partner in your health care so that you feel heard and supported.
Practical tips for improving communication in stressful situations.
Chronic pain can affect relationships, intimacy, and sexuality by changing energy levels, comfort, and emotional connection. These challenges are common, and working through them openly can reduce stress, improve closeness, and support healthier, more satisfying relationships.
We know how pain can affect your life. LivePlanBe+ is a program that helps us learn to make small changes that add up to big improvements in our well-being.
Sex and physical intimacy can be a source of joy and pleasure, but can become difficult or scary if one partner is worried they’ll hurt the other or cause a pain flare-up.
Learn how to improve intimacy while living with arthritis.
This presentation helps people with chronic pain feel more comfortable talking about sexual concerns.
Living with ongoing pain can change your mood, sleep, and overall mental well-being. It’s common to feel stressed, frustrated, anxious, or down. Noticing this and learning ways to cope can help you feel more balanced, build strength, and improve your quality of life.
A resource to help you manage stress.
With some guidance and practice you can make small changes that will gradually lift your mood and improve your pain over time.
Alberta Mental Health Helpline
Call 1-877-303-2642 (toll-free)
Living with pain often requires adapting routines and finding new ways to manage daily life. Explore our programs and resources designed to help you set goals, shift habits, and make positive, lasting changes that make living with persistent pain more manageable.
If pain is making it hard to do daily tasks, let people know that you could use some help.
When you can't find someone else to do a chore for you, use these tips to help get the job done.
Learn about changes you can make at home to help you move with less pain.
Are you thinking about making some changes to help you live well with persistent pain? Take this 'ready or not' quiz.
Understand how planning and setting goals can help you to take part in more of what you want to do.
Free, six-week, group-based self-management workshops for adults living with a chronic health condition.
Free, provincial program designed to support adults living with – or at risk of – chronic health conditions.
Ravi thought he was coping well with his back pain. He had gotten used to having pain most days since he hurt his back at university while playing rugby. He figured some amount of pain would always be part of his life.
Sometimes Patty doesn't know whether to laugh or cry when one of her three kids runs at her for a flying hug. She loves the affection, but picking up her kids all the time is one reason the 33-year-old third-grade teacher has back pain. She tries to smile and gently remind her kids to hug mommy with their feet on the ground.
