09/20/2018 · Pro Psychosomatics · Comments: ·
We recently talked about tension headaches. Today we will tell you why migraine psychosomatics occurs in women based on our personal experience.
All headaches can be independent (primary) or dependent on other diseases (secondary) - from traumatic brain injuries, tumors, from the functioning of blood vessels.
If the headache is from a secondary disease, you should always look for the primary one. This happens quite often. For example, with pain in the back of the head, the cause is often osteochondrosis or hypertension, and with migraines, otitis media and eye diseases are sometimes detected.
Migraines are often chronic, occurring one or more times a week. A person becomes dependent on weather conditions. Doctors prescribe pills that also don’t help with attacks. And this state can simply “turn you off” from life, even for a few days.
Self-examination will not help here. It is better to diagnose with the help of a doctor. But! You should not treat the drugs that he prescribes as a medicine that you will need to take constantly. Because you and I will work with the reasons. By removing the cause in the psyche, you will give the body the opportunity to recover. True, this will happen gradually.
What is the difference between a migraine and a tension headache?
Differences in symptoms. If in the second case the pain is bilateral, encircling, occurring in the area of the back of the head, crown and temples, then with migraine it is one-sided, strong, throbbing, often with nausea and vomiting. Which make the situation a little easier.
From a psychological point of view, a person with a tension headache sets a high standard for himself, works a lot, and therefore experiences severe emotional stress. And an unpleasant condition occurs most often after a working day.
Migraine sensations can occur at any time of the day.
Let's give an example to make it clear.
Woman, 37 years old. He studies how to live correctly, attends trainings. He's trying to implement something. She has an image of an ideal life, in which her husband treats her well. Mazha is doing business. The children are also well dressed and well behaved.
But what is really going on in her life?
Rented apartment, working two jobs. Nothing she studies gets her any closer to results. But she's trying...
He strives for a dream, and as a result, the psyche is overstrained from internal conflict. The question arises: “What else to do?” A woman is constantly trying to find a solution... This leads to muscle spasms and chronic tension headaches.
That is, here a person takes responsibility, works, but reacts sharply to failures. Doesn't accept.
Diagnostics
At the initial stage of diagnosing headaches, a detailed conversation with a doctor is important. By asking questions, the doctor collects information about the duration of the pain, establishes its frequency, nature, age at which the disease began, the presence or absence of similar symptoms in relatives, etc. When diagnosing, it is very important to conduct the so-called. "Headache Diary" It contains information about the duration and time of occurrence of attacks, as well as the reasons that could cause them.
For modern technical diagnostics, computed tomography or MRI are also used. In addition, it is possible to prescribe an ultrasound examination of the vascular system, including ECG and EchoCG of each large vessel.
First Neurology has all the capabilities to conduct such examinations.
What are the psychological causes of migraine?
The main hidden psychological reason is, oddly enough, envy (in which one’s own expectations are violated, one’s position is infringed upon in front of others).
A person compares himself with others and devalues himself because he cannot solve something in his life.
Then he begins to feel unsafe, out of place from this situation. This creates fear and anger. Anger - at yourself and at those close to you. Many people develop irritability as a character trait.
A woman with a headache begins to do the following:
- finds fault with himself,
- does not value her own achievements (it seems to her that she has achieved nothing compared to others),
- depends on the assessments of the environment (how much they approve of her behavior and successes),
- dissatisfaction with oneself (here is about how to accept oneself).
The anger that women feel towards themselves is a fairly strong emotion that affects more than just the head. Well, classic self-dislike is the cause of many diseases. Louise Hay has been writing about this for a long time.
Envy, anger and fear often lead to feelings of guilt. A person blames himself for what he wanted, but he never managed to do something “worthy” for his family. And such thoughts worry him more and more over time. Hence the various crises.
Therefore, for such people, head diseases are a consequence of their thoughts and even self-punishment.
That is, a person is constantly in some state of resistance. Resists his own course of life. This manifests itself especially often in women who are perfectionists. For whom it is important that everything is at a high level.
Another important point: many in this case do not take responsibility. They strive to realize themselves with the help of loved ones, for example, their husband.
Migraine from a psychosomatic point of view
Probably each of you has heard the concept of psychosomatic illness. It gained great popularity and forever entered our culture and knowledge about man.
We are one whole, and our body is one of the components of our common self. Through it we feel the world, live and experience emotions. It also shapes us in different ways. Our first acquaintance with the outside world passes through touching and crying.
The body is involved in our experience and emotional life. It also “records” our emotional experiences from periods when we do not yet have conscious (verbal) memory. Through the body we also learn to influence our feelings, for example by breathing deeper or inhaling air.
It also happens that through the body we express what we cannot express in words, and what we have often long forgotten or hidden from ourselves.
How to cope with psychosomatics faster
Watch the video from our psychologist with more than 20 years of experience, Olga Kopylova. In it she talks about how psychosomatics is formed:
Two points are important: getting to the exact cause and choosing the right psychological techniques. If you break down all the work into stages, then it would be more advisable to go this way:
- determine the initial situation,
- specify the root emotion (anger, guilt, shame, grief - each has its own),
- select appropriate psychological techniques,
- check the correctness of their implementation,
- adjust the emotion (develop new reactions to provocations).
Moreover, you can take the first step to find the cause today. To do this, take our test:
Take the test
Example : you can read for a long time about constipation - that these are mental blocks, dislike for yourself. But in 95% of cases it appears in a state of choice, in limbo. If you have basic mistrust and anxiety, constipation becomes chronic and worsens during the period of choice.
Consequently, situations with choice will never end, but the attitude towards them can be changed using psychotherapeutic methods.
What do the majority do?
They study the theory, but do not achieve improvement.
The fact is that working independently with your unconscious requires a lot of preparation.
Do you need a specialist?
It will just be faster with him. It’s possible to cope on your own, but only a few can do it and it takes a long time.
In our practice, the terms varied from 1 consultation to a year. The most common cases are:
- headache,
- Gastrointestinal tract (for example, irritable bowel syndrome),
- gynecological and genitourinary problems (for example, cystitis and urethritis),
- lungs (for example, bronchitis),
- various allergies,
- childhood illnesses through parents and others.
As you can see, the psychosomatics of migraine in women is quite amenable to work and adjustment. If you need an experienced specialist along this path, you can find out about working with us here. I wish you health and psychological comfort!
Our specialists
Tarasova Svetlana Vitalievna
Expert No. 1 in the treatment of headaches and migraines. Head of the Center for the Treatment of Pain and Multiple Sclerosis.
Somnologist.
Epileptologist. Botulinum therapist. The doctor is a neurologist of the highest category. Physiotherapist. Doctor of Medical Sciences.
Experience: 23 years.Derevianko Leonid Sergeevich
Head of the Center for Diagnostics and Treatment of Sleep Disorders.
The doctor is a neurologist of the highest category. Vertebrologist. Somnologist. Epileptologist. Botulinum therapist. Physiotherapist. Experience: 23 years.
Bezgina Elena Vladimirovna
The doctor is a neurologist of the highest category. Botulinum therapist. Physiotherapist. Experience: 24 years.
Palagin Maxim Anatolievich
The doctor is a neurologist. Somnologist. Epileptologist. Botulinum therapist. Physiotherapist. Experience: 6 years.
Dolgikh Tatyana Anatolevna
The doctor is a neurologist of the highest qualification category. Experience: 24 years.
Zhuravleva Nadezhda Vladimirovna
Head of the center for diagnosis and treatment of myasthenia gravis.
The doctor is a neurologist of the highest category. Physiotherapist. Experience: 16 years.
Volkova Svetlana Anatolevna
Head of the Center for Parkinsonism and Extrapyramidal Diseases.
The doctor is a neurologist of the highest category. Epileptologist. Ozone therapist. Physiotherapist. Experience: 26 years.
Tkachenko Anastasia Sergeevna
Neurologist of the first category Experience: 12 years.
Shemekeeva Irina Aleksandrovna
Neurologist of the highest category. Botulinum therapist, reflexologist, ozone therapist. 16 years of experience.
Bottom line
Psychological infertility is a common syndrome among modern people, often engaged in intellectual work. The most important thing is to understand that the causes and risk factors for such disorders are not always on the surface, so they are not always visible to the average person. To identify such predictors, it is worth contacting a qualified psychologist. When to do this? The earlier the better. Some will wait “until the last minute”; others will immediately sign up for a consultation. Everything is individual. But the main thing to remember is that if, according to standard laboratory and instrumental examinations, no deviations in the functioning of the reproductive system are revealed, then the next step is to exclude psychological infertility.
The sooner such violations are identified, the less time it will take to correct them. Elimination of the psychological “block” of conception can be carried out using different methods. This is psychotherapy, hypnosis, pharmacological correction. The basis, of course, is step-by-step psychological therapy, which helps to understand the problem and eliminate it, creating a favorable background for conception.
There are qualified psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists who help the couple understand the psychological problem and overcome it. Our clinic guarantees confidentiality, attentive treatment and high professionalism. Sign up for a consultation at SM-Clinic to take a step forward on the path to conscious and long-awaited parenthood!
What is psychological infertility
Psychological factors of infertility are more often identified in women, but men are no exception. Often, clinics specializing in reproduction pay special attention to the physiological state of the spouses’ bodies - identifying diseases, assessing the anatomy, functional state of the ovaries and testicles, the structure and changes of the endometrium during the menstrual cycle, etc. In this case, the psychological state is either not given any attention at all, or the advice is minimal (try to relax, and pregnancy will occur, and the like). However, it is necessary to determine the psycho-emotional state of the spouses and, based on this, targeted treatment of psychological infertility. Only in this case can you achieve the desired result.
It is worth thinking about the psychological aspects of infertility if pregnancy does not occur against the background of complete physiological health or after successful correction of disorders in the functioning of the body identified in the spouses. In such a situation, there may be a psychological conflict expressed in psychosomatics. In other words, incorrect (anxious, tense) work of the higher parts of the nervous system triggers disturbances at the level of the reproductive system. However, these disorders occur at the cellular level and it is not possible to identify them using laboratory tests and instrumental diagnostic methods. To identify such problems, the involvement of a qualified psychologist and psychotherapist is required, and sometimes (in advanced cases) even a psychiatrist. These specialists conduct a specialized examination aimed at assessing the psychogenic and emotional components of the body’s functioning.
How to treat?
Psychosomatic migraine is quite difficult to treat. Often a complex effect on the patient is necessary in order to quickly bring his health state closer to normal.
Medication
Therapeutic interventions for a patient suffering from migraines may include medications such as:
- herbal drops that have a calming effect;
- drugs that promote vasodilation;
- nootropic substances;
- anti-inflammatory drugs classified as non-steroidal;
- non-opioid analgesics;
- a calcium channel blocker (usually used between migraine attacks);
- drugs that have an antidepressant effect;
- valproate drugs;
- barbiturates.
Taking these groups of drugs on your own is strictly prohibited. All of them have certain indications and contraindications for use. For this reason, it is extremely important to seek help from a specialist if you have severe headaches.
Without taking medications
If even minor headaches occur, you should immediately determine whether they are psychosomatic in nature. The specialist must definitely find out what circumstances provoked the development of the attack, then he prescribes comprehensive treatment. One of the effective psychosomatic treatment methods is the use of essential oils. Among them, it is better to give preference to the following:
- lavender;
- tangerine;
- sea buckthorn;
- ylang-ylang;
- pine;
- cedar.
To get rid of pain that occurs over a long period of time, you should consult a massage therapist, as well as use aroma and music therapy. All this together can give amazing results in just a couple of sessions. Sometimes experts recommend taking courses of acupuncture or turning to acupuncture.
Causes
Psychologists identify several main causes of migraine development. These include:
- instability of psycho-emotional state;
- the strongest emotional experiences.
Unable to cope with his inner “demons,” a person experiences them again and again, thinks about them, trying to find the only right solution. The accumulation of unnecessary information and lack of self-confidence provoke severe pain in the head area. Other causes of headaches include:
- a feeling of internal anger, its suppression, which leads to disruption of blood flow through the vessels of the brain;
- inability to forgive;
- strong self-criticism;
- overestimating demands on oneself and others;
- suspiciousness, increased anxiety;
- increased self-criticism, lack of feeling of satisfaction after achieving success in any field;
- depressive disorders, usually developing against the background of a melancholy, sad state.
All of these reasons lead to the development of severe pain in the head and other neurological disorders. There are often cases when attacks begin in too noisy, crowded places, after which the person tries to avoid them. This gradually makes him a recluse, which obviously will not speed up the recovery process.
Types of people susceptible to psychosomatic migraines
Migraines that are psychosomatic in nature most often occur in people who have characterological characteristics that determine their personality type. These include:
- increased ambition;
- high self-esteem, self-esteem;
- the desire to be first in everything, to act as a controller;
- secrecy;
- restraining one's own emotions;
- rancor;
- claims to one’s own personality and others, hidden deep inside;
- lack of sense of humor;
- lack of desire to change anything for the better, eternal dissatisfaction with everything that happens, with others.
Usually, in people who have the indicated characterological traits, there is a predominance of reason over emotions. Perhaps, by opening their inner world a little and letting go of the desire to control everything, they could quickly get rid of painful attacks.
