Pain, Mental Pain, and Fatigue scoring

[andrewducker]

Next time you (or someone you're talking to) needs to describe their pain, mental pain, or fatigue on a scale of 0/1-10 here's some charts to help keep everyone on the same page.







(All images and transcriptions from Tumblr


Pain Scale transcription:
10: I am in bed and I can’t move due to my pain. I need someone to take me to the emergency room because of my pain.
9: My pain is all that I can think about. I can barely move or talk because of my pain.
8: My pain is so severe that it is difficult to think of anything else. Talking and listening are difficult.
7: I am in pain all the time. It keeps me from doing most activities.
6: I think about my pain all of the time. I give up many activities because of my pain.
5: I think about my pain most of the time. I cannot do some of the activities I need to do each day because of the pain.
4: I am constantly aware of my pain but can continue most activities.
3: My pain bothers me but I can ignore it most of the time.
2: I have a low level of pain. I am aware of my pain only when I pay attention to it.
1: My pain is hardly noticeable.
0: I have no pain.

Fatigue Scale transcription:
10: can barely move; can’t talk
9: can barely move; can talk
8: can move, but can’t do much more than watch TV
7: can watch TV and play a game on my phone simultaneously
6: can do work on my computer lying in bed
5: can get around the house, but definitely couldn’t go out
4: can run a light errand
3: can get in my 10,000 steps, making my fitbit happy
2: can do three or more activities in a single day
1: going clubbing!

Mental Health Pain Scale transcription:
10: The worst mental and emotional distress possible. You can no longer care for yourself. You can’t imagine things getting any worse. Contact a crisis line immediately.
9: You’re at a critical point. You aren’t functioning any more. You need urgent help. You may be a risk to yourself or others if left untreated.
8: You can’t hide your struggles any more. You may have issues sleeping, eating, having fun, socialising, and work/study. Your mental health is affecting almost all parts of your life.
7: You’re avoiding things that make you more distressed, but that will make it worse. You should definitely seek help. This is serious.
6: You can’t do things the way you usually do them due to your mental health. Impulsive and compulsive thoughts may be hard to cope with.
5: Your mental health is starting to impact on your everyday life. Easy things are becoming difficult. You should talk to your doctor.
4: Today is a bad day (or a few bad days). You still have the skills to get through it, but be gentle with yourself. Use self-care strategies.
3: Things are bothering you, but you’re coping. You might be overtired or hungry. The emotional equivalent of a headache.
2: You’re a bit frustrated or disappointed, but you’re easily distracted and cheered up with a little effort.
1: Everything is a-okay! There is absolutely nothing wrong. You’re probably cuddling a fluffy kitten right now. Enjoy!

Comments

[doug]

Thanks for posting these!

I like the idea of the mental health one, but I don't like this scale.

It bothers me that it is so differently constructed in comparison to the others. The other two are descriptive of their impact on everyday activity, and are (mostly) not prescriptive about what you should do. The mental health one, alone, tells you rather patronisingly about when you should seek help. The pain and fatigue one don't even mention doctors or health services, with the sole exception of point 10 on the pain one where it says "I need someone to take me to the emergency room", which you could even read as "I would need someone to take me to the emergency room if I were going".

And, most strikingly, the mental health one implicitly assumes that your mental health is generally good, and only temporarily bad. So, for example, point 4 says "Today is a bad day (or a bad few days)", and point 6 says "You can't do the things you usually do". I am absolutely on board with the idea that mental ill-health can and often does bob up and down, and many people with serious mental health problems have days where they're pretty much fine. But so do many people with serious fatigue or serious pain. And many people with serious fatigue, serious pain, or serious mental health problems are way up on the high points of this scale as the *baseline* that they have to live with, and when things change it's for the worse.

And point 7 on the mental health scale can get in the sea. Avoiding things that make you more distressed absolutely can be a sensible, valid, and long-term strategy for managing your mental health. Sometimes it really isn't, but sometimes it really is - for example, cutting contact with an emotionally abusive, manipulative and unrepentant ex. This has the potential for being terrible advice.

[andrewducker]

Totally fair comment.

I wonder if there's a better one.

[calimac]

The physical pain one is the only one where I've ever been asked to give a number, and by gum, this actually answers my question of what the heck does that mean.

[melita66]

This.

Thanks for posting it!

[armiphlage]

Obligatory XKCD comic:

https://xkcd.com/883/

[porridgebird]

I got intimate with that pain scale after my surgery last May! It seemed to be every conversation-starter in the hospital with every nurse, doctor, or whoever. "What's your pain number?" The chart really puts things into perspective and was extremely helpful.

(I haven't seen those other charts before. Very interesting!)

[lilysea]

8: can move, but can’t do much more than watch TV

...that is my level of fatigue most days.

5: can get around the house, but definitely couldn’t go out

is a good day

4: can run a light errand

is a VERY good day

[threemeninaboat]

In my world, pain at 7 is where you or someone would take you to the hospital. 10 is where you are going to kill yourself.
People with cluster headaches shoot themselves in the head often.

[tamaranth]

This is extremely useful: thank you. I will put a copy in my notebook for ease of health metrics.

[lproven.livejournal.com]

Clara (formerly ladytg and sqiuck) used to say that she was normally somewhere around 11-12 on that scale, occasionally going up to 13 or more.

I think it's why she seemed so permanently spaced out: consciousness-altering levels of pain.