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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> CH and Depression
        
(Message started by: sdasprsrock on Dec 15^th, 2004, 12:31am)

Title: CH and Depression
Post by sdasprsrock on Dec 15^th, 2004, 12:31am

Like I posted a few days before, I have just recently been thrown back into my 6-10 week winter cycle of clusterfucks after not having any for 2 to 3 years. This year has been extremely stressfull and depressing for myself. To start it off, about a year ago I wintnessed a man commit suicide with a gun behind the store at which I work. Shortly after, I moved away to college for a semmester away from a very serious and loving relationship which I tried to hang on to, but after moving back this summer to try to salvage what had been so damaged by a long distance relationship, it didn't work out and I am now without the person I still love very much. Also, my sister's now ex-husband got addicted to crank and forced my sister and her 2 year old son to get away from him and now my brother-in-law is a lost junkie. Not to press my troubles on ya'll, because I know you have enough dealing with these damned headaches, but I was wondering if any of you have had mild to severe depression bring the beast back into your life.
Pain-free wishes to all-
Nick

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by Gator on Dec 15^th, 2004, 12:58am

Hi Nick,

Sorry to hear your clusters are back. Sounds like you've been dealt some shitty cards lately. There's a lot of that going around these days. If you need to vent and get it off your chest before it screws up your head, you have definitely found a place where you will be understood.

I don't think with CH that it is as much cause and effect as it is just plain dumb (bad) luck. Some people go into extended remissions and think they are finally free of the beast, only to have it come back 5 or 10 years later with no noteworthy precipitating event. It just comes back.

OTOH, if your depression is screwing up your sleep/wake cycle really bad, I suppose that might trigger a return of the beast. The bi+ch of it is, no one knows for sure. Every person is different and the beast effects everyone a little differently.

Sorry it's happening to you. Hang in there. It gets better.

Gator

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by chris on Dec 15^th, 2004, 3:30am

Hey sorry to hear all the bad news, I have been chronic for 9 years and even though I manage to semi-control them most of the year, dec. through feb are always my worst months for these fuckers. I think it has something to do with the change in the weather. Chris

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by forgetfulnot on Dec 15^th, 2004, 3:58am

If you get cluster headaches and don't get depressed you are either superman or very lucky. All you can do is fight em one at a time brother. All those other things you loose are just gone, that's it, gone.

Lee

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by Langa on Dec 15^th, 2004, 9:16am

on 12/15/04 at 03:58:58, forgetfulnot wrote:

Couldn't agree more...

Nick, it happens to the best of us...they go hand in hand. Constant, extreme pain will do that!

Hang in there!

Langa

Title: ch w/ depression = STRESS!!!!!
Post by snook on Dec 15^th, 2004, 1:30pm

[smiley=heart.gif] [smiley=frown.gif] [smiley=gocrazy.gif] [smiley=confused2.gif] [smiley=furious.gif] [smi=worried.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif] [smiley=bomb.gif] My friend, depression has so many ways to find its way into ones life. And it almost always comes from all those experiances that youa re going through, BUT behind all that that is lerking STRESS which goes hand and hand w/ depression. Im no doctor but having had alot more experiance w/ this than I would like too. You have been dealing with all the things that stress along w/ depression can cause a chemical imbalance in you body that causes depression , but my $ is on the STRESS IS THE CAUSE OF THOSE CHFUCKERS RETURNING. As trivial as is might sound try to take time to do some yoga like deep breathing. I am more than aware there is much more to chs but maybe it might help when you feel out of sorts . Ill pray for you and hope the future gives you a breather from what sounds like a very hard time you have been through god bless SNOOK

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by clarence on Dec 15^th, 2004, 1:33pm

I take medication for depression, I have for a very long time. I find that during a Ch cycle that my depression gets really bad. Really bad. I asked my doc about it, and she said that the amount of stress on my body for the amount of time would cause the depression to get worse. I think that the human body can handle an incredible amount of pain...IF you have a reasonable expectation that the pain will end, and have a reasonable sense of when it will end. With my Ch's, I have no idea how long it will last, or how long my cycle will last (especially this last cycle has been very unpredictable). This, in my opinion, is one of the worst aspects of my CH's. It depresses me beyond belief, to the point where, at times, I would rather be dead.

With all of your added stressors, Nick, it doesn't surprise me that you are depressed. CH's I think make things worse. I don't know what to say to you, except that, if you haven't already talk to your doc about the depression and see if there is any medication you can take for it. It could help. What gets me through is support from those close to me, my friends, and especially my wife.

Praying for you,
Casey

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by thebbz on Dec 15^th, 2004, 7:39pm

Kick ass on depression just like CH..fight fight fight.
Depression does effect the circadian cycle, which is also effected by the winter and summer solstice. Many of us are hit during or around the solstice. My opinion is these are for sure involved with CH to some extent, for me anyway. I always fight depression in a bad episode for many reasons. It compounds the CH, adds to stress and "snowballs". Kick it in the butt. I know it sucks but hang in there, it will get better. If it doesn't hang in it anyway. All the best and better days ahead.
BB

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by Biker on Dec 20^th, 2004, 1:19pm

depression is a state of mind. Either deal with or get out of it. Its your choice. make yourself happy.

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by jillybean on Dec 27^th, 2004, 8:25pm

I know I'm new here, but I gotta jump in.

Biker- depression is not about being in a bad mood. You can't decide to feel better just like you can't take an aspirin and get over your little "headaches."

You might as well tell someone whose hair is falling out from Chemo to change shampoos.

Serious depression requires medication. Remember how it feels to have no one understand ch. Be kind to the depressed....

I find my husband's depression deepening due to the hopelessness of his pain. Encouraging those who need help is what we're here for- yes?

Sorry for the mini-lecture. My mild mannered self got all bent outa shape for a minute. I'll behave.

Jill

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by Redd715 on Dec 28^th, 2004, 7:00am

Jill,

Don't be sorry because you are totally correct. True depression is a neurochemical inbalance. Very different from the Blues or a funk, of which Biker I believe has confused them.

Just as one can't think themselves out of being bi-polar, borderline personality, or paranoid delusional, neither can one think themselves out of depression.

Margi has some insight as to depression meds and clusters however, hope she pops into this tread.

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by clarence on Dec 29^th, 2004, 6:50pm

on 12/28/04 at 07:00:24, Redd715 wrote:

Very nice explanation. Thanks to Jill and Redd.
Casey

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by BackwaterBiomed on Jan 2^nd, 2005, 3:33am

For nearly all of my life I have spent about one month a year in deep, clinical depression. And I've had to dig my way out anew each time. It's a genetic thing, an entire side of my family suffers from some form of chronic depression.

The only reason I mention this is because I think it's important to note that my ways of coping with CH are very similar to how I deal with depression. Distract yourself, set a rigid routine, seek out the help you need, and above all esle know that this too shall pass.

While rather caustic, biker actually brings up a good point. Our biggest enemy, the thing that can pull us down deeper and ultimately spell the end, is our own self-pity. We must never feel that we are owed something, never ask "why me", and never ever give up.

It sounds like you have some terrible burdens to bear, and have every right to be angry and depressed. I hope these words will help give you strength: All you have to do to beat this is continue to exist just a little while longer. Things will get better.

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by justin on Jan 2^nd, 2005, 2:25pm

hey,

sorry nick things are so dark right now. just wanted to add to what jill was saying about medication. i think the most important thing is having someone to talk to about it. i hope you do. i have been seeing a therapist for almost three years now. it was the clusters that forced me to do it. i had a history of depression dating from before the CH but never did anything about it. the clusters forced me to and in a way it made the rest of my life better so that's a weird good thing coming from ch. so medication has helped me balance everythign out and fight what we call the "reactive depression" of feeling worse when the CH comes back. but medication alone is not the answer. i have to keep up with my therapy or all the medication in the world won't help me. and i think with everything else that is going on in your life it will really help. most insurance will cover it so you don't have anything to lose, right?

but if you're not ready for that feel free to email me anytime. i'm young too as it sounds like you are. 26.

justin
justinott@mac.com

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by toolong on Jan 2^nd, 2005, 5:09pm

Brings up the REAL question.Do CH cause depression or does depression cause the CH? [smiley=huh.gif]David

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by Renee on Jan 9^th, 2005, 6:54am

For me, both appeared initially in the same year but the "debilitating headache" that I thought was going to kill me came a few months prior to the depression.

The clusters, as i was finally diagnosed many many years later, went away for many years but the depression never left.

Nine years ago the clusters returned, chronically, and I now fight both all the time.

Title: Serotonin Problems
Post by floridian on Jan 11^th, 2005, 9:35am

Having screwed up serotonin puts a person at increased risk of clusters, depression, anxiety, and other problems.

My blood pressure has been borderline high, and more alarmingly, my heart rate has been up there (between 90 and 100, trending upward). Been working on the relaxation response and positive thinking stuff, which can drop my blood pressure by -10/-10 but no effect on the heart. Last night I took a 5-htp capsule (serotonin precursor), and after 30 minutes, my heart rate dropped from 100 to 76 ... the first time it was under 90 in the last two weeks. Blood pressure improved some as well.

I'm all for positive mental attitude and cognitive therapy to battle depression and the other ills we face. But sometimes it isn't enough.

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by vig on Jan 11^th, 2005, 10:59am

on 12/20/04 at 13:19:40, Biker wrote:

depression is a state of mind. Either deal with or get out of it. Its your choice. make yourself happy.

Perhaps you haven't experienced CHemical depression as opposed to psyCHological depresssion. There is a difference. I've had depression and been in a good mood before. It's startling... and it can be treated with different methods. (exercise, diet, medicine) In many case it is just an attitude problem, but it is also in many other cases, a brain CHemical imbalance. learn to separate the two.

Also, alcohol is a depressant. It might make you happy/giddy while you take it, but the CHemicals go back to even lower levels the next day....
be careful

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by AIRS on Jan 12^th, 2005, 12:04pm

Hey there,

I'm at the start of another glorious cycle, and I too have been pretty stressed out lately. My cycles generally occur when I've been thorugh a particularly stressful situation so there's something in that too

amir :(

Title: Re: CH and Depression
Post by sandie99 on Jan 12^th, 2005, 2:29pm

Nick,

[smiley=hug.gif]

So sorry to hear that you have so much on your plate... CH is more than enough! I wish you PF days, lots of them.

I do know what it's like to have both CH and depression. I had that last spring and it wasn't a walk in the park... I wish you strenght.

And be free to tell us about the things you go through, we're your CH family. You can email me anytime. :)
Hang on there, that's all I can say.

Wishing you PFdays,
sandie99