Dear Dick
articles about wide ranging psychological issues
from "The Local Bulletin" (Brisbane Australia)
by Dick Rigby
©all articles are copyright 2006
It's all in the mind you know
July 2000
I suffer from migraines. I get them about every month or so and sometimes they are quite bad. On these occasions I just have to go to bed for the day. My doctor says that it has a lot to do with psychological factors such as stress.
What do you think that I can do about the problem?
Mrs R
Dear Mrs R
Migraines are a serious health issue. A bad migraine can put some people out of action for several days; not to mention the suffering. The debate goes on about the cause of migraines - how much is physical and how much is psychological.
What seems to be generally agreed upon is that stress can contribute to migraines. For people with stress related migraines, there seems to be a build up of tension over time and then the migraine strikes. Sometimes, it strikes without warning, but more often than not there are some early warning signs. I have had clients who have noticed the early warning signs of a migraine coming on and have gone to bed and rested. They have reported that this has lessened the severity of the attack.
What to do about the problem?
See your doctor and have the medical side of the problem checked out. You may need to have a CAT scan or MRI to look for anything physically wrong with the blood supply to the brain or the development of a tumor.
Ask about medication. Some migraine medications are very effective. Investigate alternative health treatments such as acupuncture, reflexology and muscle massage.
Look into changing your diet. Diet can the be the cause of some allergic reaction. Also, certain chemicals can set off an allergic reaction.
See a psychotherapist to learn how to recognize the early signs of when a migraine is coming on.
Start a stress management program to help with prevention of the migraine.
Learn about relaxation techniques and pain management techniques for when a migraine occurs.
An experienced psychotherapist will be able to help you to learn what to look for in terms of the early warning signs. My experience has been that most migraines can be successfully treated. Sometime it will involve some changes in your lifestyle. The people that I have spoken to who have made these changes report that it was.