Most people don't realize that migraine headaches frequently have psychological causes. Although there have been some advances in the development of medications to provide migraine headache relief, as well as surgical interventions, there is no migraine treatment that is able to cure 100% of cases.
This is because the causes of chronic migraines are not 100% physiological. Some of the psychological factors that can contribute to the development of migraine headaches our inadequate management of anger and hostility, and relational dynamics which contribute to the necessity for the patient to remain ill. The extent to which psychological factors are contributing to migraine attacks tends to correspond to the chronicity of the migraines.
The more frequently a person experiences headache pain, and the more severe that headache pain is, the more likely it is that the problem is a mental one rather than a physical one. This is of course provided that the person in question has been to see a doctor and has received a full medical workup to ensure that no detectable physical causes are at play.
As troubling as migraine headaches can be for sufferers, they can often provide a strange sort of relief from external factors that may be pressing on the migraine sufferer. In many cases people are not expected to perform at the same level or to perform the same types of familial duties as usual when they are suffering from a migraine. At an unconscious level this alleviation of stress can serve to reinforce the development of migraine headaches.
However, the mechanisms by which this type of psychological symptom develop and manifest can vary widely by individual, just like any other form of mental illness or, for that matter, many physical illnesses. Even the psychological diagnosis can differ between patients, from pain disorder, to conversion disorder, to somatiform disorder. And any of these frequently co-occur with diagnoses of anxiety and/or depression. Each type of chronic migraine headache pain will require a customized psychological treatment that corresponds to the psychological needs of the individual chronic pain patient.
Some common mental health treatments for migraine headaches which provide headache pain relief for a large number of patients include relaxation, biofeedback, neurofeedback, and mindfulness meditation. In some instances, clinical hypnosis has been used to effectively provide relief from migraines. In general, these interventions also help to improve overall physical and mental health, if only because migraine headaches are so stressful and damaging to the body and mind.
Chicago Psychology is a community site where mental health professionals share their insights. If you are seeking psychotherapy or counseling in Chicago, you can get help right away by calling 312-869-2323.