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Alex B. How to get rid of headaches

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Question
I have a question about my headaches being TMS related. I'm 99% sure they are, but I don't follow all of the traditional norms of the syndrome. I have been having headaches regularly for the past 5-10 years, and in the past couple of years they come about every 2 weeks and last 24 hours. They don't normally affect my daily activities too much, but they do make the day unpleasant and I dread it when I have one. Some headaches are so intense that I can't even sleep at night. I have been doing the online Wiki program for 2 weeks now, journaling and doing activities as recommended. I do not have a lot of daily stress in my life or ongoing issues like financial or marital problems, my life is pretty normal, and I have some good support in my life. There are some work stresses at times but they don't last long. I do have some issues in my past that I am working on, journaling and trying to come to terms with them. I have somewhat of the typical TMS personality traits, so I am trying to delve into them and be more forgiving of myself. I guess I feel that the TMS program makes a lot of sense for many issues related to pain, and I do agree that emotions are behind many unexplained physical symptoms, so I want to forge ahead and continue working on the TMS program for myself. I am writing because I just want to make sure I am on the right path to help with my headaches and that if I keep on journaling and trying to deal with the past and connect the dots between mind and body that it will ultimately pay off. Any reassurance and/or additional information on this journey for me would be much appreciated.
 
Answer
Hi, thanks for the question.

Headaches are really tough, and are something I deal with myself. There is absolutely no doubt that they can be exacerbated or even generated by stress, and worrying/being anxious about them can definitely make them worse. In those cases, a TMS approach can certainly be beneficial by helping you reframe the meaning of the pain and manage the anxiety and fear around symptoms. If you've been having some success with the approach, that can certainly be a sign that it's applicable to you.

However, as is always the case with people who believe they may have TMS, it is important to rule out other possible causes of symptoms. A huge part of confronting TMS is reframing the meaning of pain/symptoms: re-interpreting them from indicators of damage to expressions of fear and anxiety. If you don't rule out structural issues first, then this process will most likely be unhelpful as there still could be a structural explanation. This is why we recommend that people speak with physicians familiar with TMS, so these things can be ruled out.

Any advice or information provided here does not and is not intended to be and should not be taken to constitute specific professional or psychological advice given to any group or individual. This general advice is provided with the guidance that any person who believes that they may be suffering from any medical, psychological, or mindbody condition should seek professional advice from a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions. No general advice provided here should be taken to replace or in any way contradict advice provided by a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions.

The general advice and information provided in this format is for informational purposes only and cannot serve as a way to screen for, identify, or diagnose depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions. If you feel you may be suffering from any of these conditions please contact a licensed mental health practitioner for an in-person consultation.

Questions may be edited for brevity and/or readability.

 
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