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Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Hi Amber,

I notice some others mention jaw-clenching, which you appear to suffer from too if you've tried a mouthguard. This is something I have suffered from very much, to the extent of breaking a tooth and damaging others. I don't tend to grind them. The worst part about it is that when I am extremely stressed by triggers associated with my past (particularly being abused) I clench my teeth when asleep, not in the daytime. I can even go to bed and try to consciously relax my jaw to sleep normally, but in my sleep I will clench my jaw and twist my head as far to the left as possible. This causes extremely bad migraines.

When I was doing a course last year with Eastern CASA I went through a couple of weeks of this and could barely function because of the migraines I was suffering. The two things that helped alleviate it were working directly on the trauma, both in therapy and using midfulness techniques to allow some distance from the intensity of my distress; and having very gentle relaxation masssage (especially head /neck /back /shoulders) from someone very respectful and professional who could cope with me sobbing my heart out. At the time I was going through this I realised that the clenching and neck twisting is something I have tended to do when triggered, which in turn was causing most of my migraines.

I now get very few migraines thank goodness, as I finally seem to be less inclined to clench my jaw or twist my neck when asleep.

I hope this might shed some light on some possible things to look out for/try with your migraines. 

Kind regards,

Kristin

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Well I thought I had this sorted - the jaw clenching and twisting in my sleep - but apparetnly not quite.

A couple of weeks ago I reinitiated the process (after stoppping midway late last year) to go to Eastern CASA for specialist counselling to help me deal with the sexaul abuse I suffered as a child - I just feel it's time and I am now strong enough to work on it directly.

So as soon as I managed to tee up a time that my PHaMS mentor could go with me for the intake appoiment - guess what happened?

  • trouble going to bed at night plus I have to read for at least a half hour before going to sleep - so I don't actually get to sleep until about midnight instead of 10.30/11
  • waking with headaches in the mornings (not quite to migraine stage thankfully)
  • aching shoulders, worse rather than better after sleeping
  • waking in the night with pins and needles in arm or leg or both because I'm trying not to move into the old head-twisitng position which is one of the causes of my migraines

I find this process of healing is ever iterative, things I think I've "dealt with" take time and repeated work to sift through the levels of damage.

Cheers, Kristin

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Hi Amber,
Stress is a factor for my mum too, she said if she had a whole lot of critical feedback at work,she was guaranteed a massive headache at the end of her workday, but if it continued over the week she would be with a migraine by the weekend and not doing anything. Luckily, she retired this year and no migraines since summer. Do you find weather changes increase migraine? My mum says heat has always been a factor for how long they last so aircon is an essential item in summer in her home.😄

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Hi Alessandra,

Re weather affecting migraine: my son doesn't usually suffer from migraines, but he does get them when there's a dramatic change in barometric pressure (like with a storm coming).

I hope your mum enjoys her retirement 🙂

Best regards,

Kristin

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Hi Kristin, I think she is loving not having to work every day😄mind you, I have a strong suspicion she will either develop a new interest or do some voluntary work as it is a big change to go from working full time to not working! Me, I reckon I will be working until I am 90 coz I had a long break when the kids came along...

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Well good for you both. BTW I think we should be helped to work for as long as we want to (rather than forced to until 70).

My dad is in his 70s and in his 3rd career as an author (having been a lawyer and a nuclear physicist). My paternal grandfather is in his 90s and he and his wife still buy a few head of sheep or cattle to fatten up and sell. Yhey are pretty amazing. 

Best regards,

Kristin

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Hi,

I have suffered from fairly severe headaches since I was child, just always seemed to have a headache when I was a small child. Some years ago the headaches became much more severe and resulted in nausea and vomiting occasionally.

Two things have helped nearly eliminate headaches from my life, very thankfully!!!!

1. A doctor(GP) I didn't normally see at my old clinic in Brisbane discovered that I had high circulatory pressure and for a time the circulatory pressure medication made the headaches go away. Some months later they began to return to my life.

2. Thru discussions with my acupuncturist in Brisbane, I started taking milk thistle tablets regularly and that has put an end to the headaches nearly permanently and I rarely get headaches these days. The reason my acupuncturist sugggested milk thistle tablets is because milk thistle is a liver tonic and detox and in Chinese medicine headaches are seen as being caused by a dysfunctional liver. You may very well say that it is just placebo effect but if I keep taking milk thistle I have very few headaches but I've stopped taking it a few times and after a few weeks to a month the headaches inevitably return and going back on milk thistle makes them go away????

I can't say that the above might help you and it's no good taking circulatory pressure tablets unless you do have high circulatory pressure and milk thistle may not work for you either but both the above have helped me, that's all I know, sorry!!!!

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Hi Geronimo,

Thanks for sharing those ideas. You are right of course, no good trying to reduce circulatory pressure if it's not hight to start with, but maybe worth getting it tested. Same with the milk thistle, as long as it's not going to have unwanted side-effects or isn't contraindicated (eg in combo with other meds) then it might be worth a try.

Best regards,

Kristin

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Yes, indeed have your circulatory pressure checked when next at your GP. If you happen to be over 50 years of age your GP should really check your circulatory pressure each and every time you visit them!!

As for milk thistle it is simply a herbal supplement that is even available in the major supermarkets these days where they keep their vitamins. I probably can't name brands in this forum but a good value one has a red and green label with a green screw-on lid that flips up once you have opened the bottle and removed the stuck on paper seal which is there for your own safety - don't remove it in store!! Don't be fooled into thinking that the higher the price the better, I've had good results from the value brand that I have described. Often higher prices simply mean more profits for the company selling the item and that applies to many things other than vitamins and herbal supplements.

Cheers,

Clyde.

Re: Mental Illness and Migraines

Oh yeah... a vagal nerve stimulator also works on depression and there is a lot of research going on in regards to other mental illnesses....may be a win/win

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