Physicians have suspected, for years, the connection between mental health and headache or migraine. Now research is beginning to show that people who suffer from various mental illnesses have migraine headaches as well. People in this state have a hard time dealing with the depression and headache. It is a matter of which came first, the depression or was it the migraine. Whatever your situation may be, know this: mental illness can affect the way you feel pain, especially migraine headache pain.
MENTAL DISORDERS AND MIGRAINE HEADACHE
Three mental disorders report migraine headache as an issue: depression, post-traumatic syndrome, and bipolar disorder.
DEPRESSION
Many people with depression report symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, and headaches, including migraine. It is thought that most depressed people suffer from tension headaches, but migraine has played a role also. For those with depression, usually a physician will prescribe a medication or treatment that will attack the depression and headache.
POST-TRSUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
Doctors have found that migraine patients who also have PTSD have a higher degree of disability than those without PTSD. Furthermore, for patients with migraine and PTSD, a higher degree of disability occurs in those who have chronic daily headaches than in those who experience episodic type migraines. Since there is a prevalence of PTSD associated with headache, awareness needs to be heightened in this area to better treat both conditions.
BIPOLAR DISORDER
This condition is consists of periods of depression and mania. Studies have shown that people affected with this disorder usually have headaches, especially migraines. The typical treatments for migraine are effective with those with bipolar disorder.
As always, special care must be taken when dealing with individuals displaying a mental disorder and migraine headache because of drug interactions. Certain drugs cannot be taken together without causing detrimental side effects. The health physician would be the best guide in picking the right medicine for you.
Sometimes it is difficult to determine the causes for headaches. Hopefully, you and your health care practitioner can observe your headache symptoms and establish a treatment routine that will be beneficial. However, it is good to know that you are not alone in your struggle and there are people who will do all they can to see that you get the pain relief and help needed.
Tags: Acupuncture, Alternative treatment, chiropractic care, herbal supplemetns, migraine treatment, Migraines, natural alternative, therapy
Leave A Reply (No comments so far)
You must be logged in to post a comment.
No comments yet