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"Quality of life" is a measure of how well a patient adjusts to their condition. It measures many factors related to living with a medical condition, including:

• Physical and material well-being
• Social relationships with other people (e.g., spouse, siblings, or friends)
• Social activities (e.g., helping others, getting together with other individuals or groups, community/religious involvement)
• Personal fulfillment (e.g., career, creativity, pursuit of intellectual interests)
• Recreational activities (e.g., sports or relaxation)
• Health status (perceived and actual)

A significant aspect of a person's quality of life and their ability to function daily is related to how they perceive themselves and regard their situation. Physical well-being has the greatest influence on a person's perceived health status and on most other measures evaluated in Quality of Life scales. Chronic neuropathic pain can be very debilitating and can affect several dimension of daily life including:

• Psychological health (e.g., depression, anxiety)
• Work-related problems (e.g., reduced levels of productivity, absenteeism)
• Sleep disturbances
• Feelings of isolation
• Sense of disappointment that expectations of recovery are not being met

Peripheral neuropathy affects a wide range of people and its impact on the quality of life is closely related to the severity of this interference in daily life. In some people it can be very debilitating and chronic while others may be affected only intermittently with varying degrees of discomfort ranging from mild to severe. Pain management programs play an important role in teaching patients how to live with their condition. These programs focus on pain control as well as social/physical functioning, and emotional health. Another benefit of pain management programs or pain clinics is that they usually consist of several types of professionals, including psychologists or psychiatrists who can help monitor the individual's emotional status and try to prevent secondary conditions such as depression and withdrawal from society.

Depression is not uncommon in persons with peripheral neuropathy due to the chronic pain, loss of function, emotional burden, and reduced quality of life. Some of the medications used to treat peripheral neuropathy are actually antidepressants and may help to control depression as well. However, it is very important to share feelings of depression with your health care provider so that they can be addressed appropriately if additional therapy is required. Support groups are helpful for many persons in coping with the pain and discomfort and its impact on daily life.

Response to medications is extremely variable and many patients try numerous types and doses of medications before finding one that brings some measure of relief. Some doctors and patients find that keeping a daily pain diary is effective so that medications can be changed or adjusted as needed. Response to monotherapy (one drug) is estimated to bring a 30-50% reduction in pain, at best. Multi-drug therapies that target different parts of the nerve pathways may be more effective. Although there are no clinical trials to date regarding multi-drug treatment of peripheral neuropathy, this strategy is often practiced by physicians.