About 9% of people in the U.S. endure severe pain caused by everything from cancer to arthritis, and that includes chronic headaches.
The Robbins Headache Clinic in Northbrook, IL several years ago conducted a study of 494 people, ages 18 to 60. The study included 393 females and 101 males, all with a diagnosis of migraine with or without aura.
In this group 21% of the females and 12% of the males suffered from chronic depression, 25% of both sexes had insomnia (either unable to get to sleep or unable to remain asleep long enough), and 58% of them had chronic anxiety. They were also more likely to have panic disorder. The study found greater risk for suicide in people with migraine in combination with depression than if they had one of these conditions alone.
An Italian study of 400 patients diagnosed with migraine or cluster headaches found that nearly 80% had phonophobia and photophobia (fear of sound and light). Normal daily activities were difficult for 94%. Many had to lie down, and more than half had difficulty bending over. Three-quarters of them avoided social contact. The pain took a toll on their jobs, social life, and leisure activities. They were anxious, irritable, and frustrated.
A common finding among migraineurs and cluster headache sufferers, which explains a lot of this, is the feeling that they have no control over their lives.
Well, as Dr. Peter Staats, Director and Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, told a reporter for DiscoveryHealth.com, "There's no need to see Dr. Kevorkian. The fact is, we can control most of the suffering."
Yeah, right, you're saying. You've probably had trouble getting a doctor to believe how much pain you have. Dr. Staats says, "We don't have a lab test, an X-ray, or any other test that tells us how bad pain is. We have to believe the patient."
In other words, you have to find the right doctor, or get referred to a pain specialist. He will understand, for one thing, that pain is a physical problem that affects your emotional well-being. But you need to understand that the flip side of that is true too.
You'll find this hard to believe, but they've conducted tests that show thinking pleasant thoughts cuts the amount of pain you feel in half. I know, I know. But think how different you feel when your doctor actually believes what you tell him and says he's going to do something about it. Already you feel better.
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