Depressive headache, a very common reality

While a headache due to tension or fatigue is relieved with paracetamol or aspirin, these drugs do not work for a depressive headache. The most common painkillers are not helpful, nor is lying in bed with the blinds down helpful. Generally, this discomfort usually appears in the morning and persists for months.

One of the most common consultations in primary care centers is precisely this clinical reality. Many people come complaining of this type of continuous headaches that completely reduce their quality of life. The most important thing is that along with this characteristic, other symptoms appear: fatigue, sleep and eating disorders, discouragement, hopelessness…

That is to say, It is common that those who suffer from this type of problem have not yet received a diagnosis of depression.. What’s more, sometimes it can take months to receive it because the focus is on the somatic symptoms rather than on the psychological origin. Therefore, as always happens, it is decisive to understand the origin of all those physical discomforts that condition our well-being.

It is more common for people to go to the doctor for physical discomfort than for psychological problems.

Depressive headache, more than just a headache

The presence of depression is sometimes so subtle and covert that it is not easy to detect. Furthermore, another fact is given: On average, more attention is placed on physical discomfort than on emotional pain. This makes many people prioritize going to the doctor to consult about their problems falling asleep or headaches, rather than because of the anxiety or hopelessness they deal with.

Depressive headache is a primary painful and disabling disorder that appears in about 60% of patients with depression. This is possibly one of the most common physical symptoms and one of the most limiting. Likewise, it is interesting to know that it was the Spanish psychiatrist Demetrio Barcia, an expert in depressive disorder, who described this condition for the first time in 1970.

Since then, this topic has been delved into on numerous occasions given the great incidence. Today we know, for example, that migraine and depression are also related.. Research from the California Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Neurosciences talks about genetic triggers.

Let’s see more features.

How does it manifest?

Many chronic tension headaches can actually hide an emotional disorder. like depression. That is to say, although they can diagnose us that this headache is caused by tension in the muscles of the neck and scalp, the truth is that the trigger can be psychological in some cases.

The person who suffers from depressive headache experiences a type of vague and diffuse painnon-pulsatile and distributed around the entire head. These pains are usually more intense on weekends, when on vacation or at times of greater stress.The discomfort appears especially in the mornings and as soon as we get up. The origin is never organic. The most common painkillers do not work.It is common to have this problem for months without relief. or a solution is found.

What is the origin?

A possible origin of depressive headache is the decrease in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. In addition, Alterations in dopamine and endorphins can also be linked to this type of headache, as there is a drastic decrease in opiates in the brain.

Be that as it may, the causes and triggers are not entirely clear. The most decisive thing is to rule out any organic origin. When there is no specific biological or physiological origin, we can intuit that, perhaps, the trigger is somatic and linked to some mood disorder.

Both anxiety and depression frequently occur with headaches and musculoskeletal pain. These discomforts in many cases make it difficult for the person to carry out their daily responsibilities. Above all, when other variables are added that are not always exposed in doctors’ consultations, such as recurrent sadness, apathy, lack of motivation and hope, etc.

Depression goes beyond a dejected or unmotivated state of mind. It also has numerous physical symptoms.

Which is the treatment?

Depressive headache is an organic indicator of depressive disorder. Along with it, more discomforts appear, more psychophysical alterations. We cannot forget that this condition is a multifaceted reality, it has many faces, many characteristics that make up the same clinical trigger that can be treated and cured.

The therapeutic approach requires several strategies. On the one hand, it is common to resort to tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In addition, Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are very useful for the treatment of depression headache.

However, The pharmacological field will never be fully effective without psychological therapy. We need to go deeper and address those aspects that have led us to that debilitating situation. We can all end up on this island of suffering at some point.

However, enabling ourselves with new coping strategies, healthier thinking approaches and other lifestyle habits will allow us to leave this situation behind, little by little. Let us not hesitate to always request specialized help.

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