TCPC Hires a New Psychologist

Psychologist Peg Maude-Griffin, the latest addition to the TCPC staff.

Mention the word “pain,” and Peg Maude-Griffin is all ears.  “Treating pain starts to alarm people who aren’t pain specialists. Everyone has this fear of causing an addiction. The issue is that they don’t understand how complex an addiction really is,” said Peg Maude-Griffin, Ph.D., “or that by under-treating someone in pain they are actually setting them up for additional psychological suffering.”

Maude-Griffin has focused her professional life on understanding the complexity of addictions and other emotional disorders beginning with her internship at San Francisco General Hospital.  “The medical staff on the medical-surgical floors would consult with addiction specialists on how to treat pain in at-risk patients,” said Maude-Griffin, “The question was always how much pain medicine could be safely given without causing or worsening addictive behavior.”

The Psychological Impact of Chronic Pain

Psychological counseling is not just for individuals with mental disorders or social problems.  Having a good psychological counselor or therapist to rely on can make an enormous difference in the way an individual recovers from and copes with chronic pain.

A psychologist specializing in the treatment of pain patients deals with a number of factors that affect their patients’ well-being.  Prescription medications and their addictive powers are of great concern to health professionals in the pain management field, and many doctors consult with psychologists specializing in addiction when they choose to treat chronic pain with medication.  Incorporating the psychological factors related to addiction into treatment helps with the physical dependency that may come with treatment, but chronic pain has many other implications for the patient’s life that psychological counseling can help alleviate.

The Health Wire

Staying Prepared During Changing Temperatures

The calendar says spring is here, but the upper midwest is still experiencing blasts of winter weather. Use these tips to help stay prepared for anything while you and your family get ready for spring:

 

- Keep warm clothing - particularly, a jacket and gloves - in your car at all times. You never know when the weather will cool down unexpectedly, and the cold could prove particularly dangerous if your car breaks down and you're caught without proper outerwear.

 

- Continue to use your home heating system on cold nights. Remember that having your home heated to lower than 55 degrees puts the pipes at risk of freezing (and bursting).

 

- Don't only check the "next-day" forecast - remember that nonstop warm weather is on the horizon, and check the 10-day forecast to help stay positive (and prepared)!

Do you know a loved one who suffers from pain?

Call TCPC at 952-841-2345