We may have already covered this well enough in our various posts, and maybe even as a separate topic although I have not seen it recently, but...so many of CH sufferers do experience bouts of depression either in cycle or out of cycle. It's sort of like the physiology of CHs...a correlation exists but which comes first? As far as depression goes, it's an important question, but not the most important one. Deal with the depression and worry about origin secondarily.

So...I was wondering if we have made the connections between CH and depression clearly enough to remove the stigma we tend to attach to just speaking out about depression. There are so many linking factors where one can effect the other: lack of sleep; interruption of REM sleep; fear and doubt; loss of work and support networks; constant pain and pain anticipation; the loss of pain when we go into a remission...

I know that one sounds weird, but our body and our minds tend to habituate to the cycle of pain itself, and we can begin to anticipate the "rhythm" of the cycle even when the pain is gone. It's a little bit like the Stockholm Syndrome-we begin to identify with our kidnappers, which are CHs for us.

The onset of disabling depression can be hard to recognize because it is often associated with a physical or emotional trauma which we know would make "everyone" depressed. But in our case, we may not get over it. The depression factors I mentioned above are still with us and we can find ourselves drawn every more deeply into that black hole.

The cure is truly a medical intervention, coupled with the kind of support received here, and the key ingredient to all depression recovery: HOPE. Hope is critical. Hope for remission. Hope for an effective preventative, especially when we have already tried so many. Hope for an abortive that will work this time. Hope fueled by understanding rather than pity or sympathy. And most important of all, to we who know why these b****rds are called suicide headaches, hope that we can live gracefully between rounds of pain.

Time alone can often heal the wounds of depression, but not when there are other clinical factors involved. CHs bring the whole gamut to the table: physical trauma, emotional trauma, and questions of self-doubt and self-worth.

Support...support...support. And sharing...sharing...sharing. Yup, we're depressed. We have a darn good reason to be, and even better reasons to deal with it effectively. THERE IS NO SHAME in admitting depression, just an open door to staying alive and involved in life each day.

OK; I'm done. Thanks for listenin' and if this is useful, share some of your story. It can help someone else!  Blessings!

Like I said, CHs and depression are complex. Keep in mind folks, that "anxiety" is hard to define, even by clinicians. Some believe in a kind of "free floating anxiety" (I do) which exists in all people systems: families, friends, colleagues, shoppers and drivers. We run into it daily, sort of like hitting a cloud of noxious fumes. We deal with it in our own way, or don't, but it is still there as a stressor.

Anxiety also is not loss specific. Getting a new job, getting ready for Christmas or Thanksgiving or any celebration, finding a new friend or going on a blind date...routine and new ventures can also create anxious moments, even when they are occasions for celebration.

Our minds and bodies pretty much like steady-state conditions: no body temp too much over or under 98.6 on average; neither too much nor too little sleep, or work, or play...CHs crush that expectation.

So again...we desire HOPE above all; and good interventions. No matter their origin. Blessings and HOPE for a PF day!

a beautiful post!thank you!food for thought.

but still, i ve got some dark thoughts emerged which i ve got to say.what happens when hope..fails?
when there is no really good preventative and abortive?no remission?who likes to hope on a false make belief?
I mean,last year for example i had the biggest remission as i started vitamin d at the same time
for a defficiency i found out,thinking it might have
something to do with ch.
I know now that its crap even if i still take the damn pills.Did it was just its time to come as ch morphes?yes definitely and vitamin d just a coincidence.So i started hoping that i might have become episodic,from february till august every year not bad at all.But yet again this year proves me wrong.
There is a saying here,that we are all different
as far as it concerns ch.And i ask myself,is this real
or just a way to preserve hope to which point?
How many of us have taken a list of different meds
just to learn that it doesn't applause to us from the beggining or nomore.
ok being different to each other,but to our own selves?And then we say the beast morphs.
Deep in i believe that if we all have the same symptoms with the only exception when and how long it's gonna hit,then there's got to be the same common ground and solution.One drug,one something.The one word,cure, which we don't even want to hear anymore.There we can't permit,and wisely,to have hope.It's beyond any of our control
as if we had any.
And there are others which reach as empty words in the process of life.
the why me or why not me guestion.
Of course it's the why me.Not only i would wish it for my worst enemy but i would give it to my beloved ones(don't take it literally but for the desire to be pain free with reassurement) if it was for someone else to take it.I had my part,i didn't do anything to deserve it,give me life my life back.Of course this is just wishful thinking and useless.So here comes the why not part.
Just another one among the millions who happens to have ch.Who cares?Obviously in this every one is on its own.what and how to get and maintain a job,struggle for real friendships and if you are lucky enough for real supporters who understand,inbetween emdless hits.Cause
outside from this wonderful site,its matter of lack
and things just happen.so for what should i hope?
i choose the why not part with the knowledge that
people around will never understand.We are talking here about this damn repeative pain while at the same time,inbetween hard hits out there you ve got to smile cause it's necessary.People know that something is wrong while you dont look happy.You might have been out from one hour extreme pain which has left you exhausted but you ve got to do the ok thumb thing as it was just a dive and now you took breath.Now you can do,and hear any bullshit as normal.
What am i saying?i ve given documents for people to read and say ''na,i am bored,so it hurts huh?''.A very few people all this time have bothered to read.And the joke is that noone until Now,I mean noone says it with its name.Cluster headache.If it wasn't this site by now i would believe i have a sort of whatmigraine.
So the why not part with the secret that signature of E-Double i read here -are we ourselves?, which striked me as ligthning the first time i saw it.
I am not talking about depression here but to visualize it is as if someone is sitting in a chair and every time is trying to get up is being smacked.
what's there to hope?
live your life inbetween hits.If you are lucky enough to still have on hold one may i add.otherwise live one and see.
where is hope?
as i am talking now believe me in ten minutes i ll be just fine but i am thinking how many desires
have been covered in sand and that melacholy
is the *&^(don't know the word) holding the chain in one piece,with this terrible pain never end, as if it wasn't for it i dont know..would be myself?
maybe.

thanks for listening me ramble,steam

"It's a little bit like the Stockholm Syndrome"


Good stuff here. Something to think about.

Hard to put into words but you all make a lot of sense to me.

That's great news Wimsey...hope...the one thing we all have in common around here!

Joe