There is no doubt that there is a need for better integrated physical and mental health services, especially in order to support people with long-term health conditions. The King’s Fund, an independent charity that works to improve healthcare, reports that people with long-term physical health conditions are two to three times more likely to also experience mental health disorders. This month’s Therapy Room column focuses on migraine headaches and various mental health conditions.

Peter Goadsby, a professor at King’s College in London, defines migraine as an inherited tendency to have headaches with sensory disturbance. It is an instability in the way the brain deals with incoming sensory information, and such instability can become influenced by physiological changes, such as sleep, exercise and hunger. There is no known cause for a migraine, although most people with it are genetically predisposed to it. There are certain common triggers, which include stress, lack of food, alcohol, female hormonal changes, lack of sleep and one’s environment.

Jodi Langston, a migraine sufferer for the past 3 ½ years and a contributor to The Mighty (www.themighty.com), shares “I am disabled and while misunderstanding individuals claim that I am faking it, migraine is my scary monster in the closet and it has friends. It is bad enough to have a migraine, but depression and anxiety have become my migraine’s constant companions. Depression takes away my will to fight another day and anxiety tells me my pain will spike if I try to do anything besides hiding out in the darkness of my bedroom.”

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (www.adaa.org) explains that migraine headaches can precede the onset of mental disorders. In a 2009 study, researchers found that 11 percent of participants with migraines also had various disorders, including major depression, general anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorders, agoraphobia and simple phobias. New research suggests that people who have migraines are more susceptible to developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when exposed to trauma, like a car accident or an abusive partnership, than those who do not experience migraines.

Special treatment challenges exist for physicians treating those with migraines and mental health conditions. A physician may select medication because it is effective for an anxiety disorder as well as headache pain and then the physician must closely monitor the patient for possible side effects caused by the prescribed medication.

Research also suggests that people with migraines and a mental health disorder, such as PTSD, consider seeing a licensed psychotherapist who practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

CBT, along with relaxation training and medication specifically prescribed for migraines, can also improve the conditions.

One can certainly manage migraines and mental health disorders in order to lead a full life. Change is possible!

Dr. Julia Breur is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private clinical psychotherapy practice in Boca Raton, FL. Further information is available on the website: www.drjuliabreur.com.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

l’ll bet you have seen one or more of the hundreds of movies that address issues concerning mental illness. To name just a few: Psycho, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ordinary People, Rainman, Gilbert Grape, American Beauty, Black Swan, The Soloist, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Silver Lining Playbook.

Each addresses a different diagnostic malfunction of the many that attack our population, just as physical diseases are the scurge of mankind.

I’ll bet you never heard of NAMI – (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. During the month of May, NAMI, in conjunction with other mental health advocates, is bringing awareness to mental illness.

Each year, their supporters fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for equal care.

Who doesn’t know someone with any of the following conditions: bi-polar, clinical depression, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, mental retardation, dementia, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), Agoraphobia, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, and too many more to list.

These are not conditions that are treatable with a simple toss of a “Get over it” approach that belies any understanding of the pain and suffering experienced by victims and families. And, yet, the added burden of social stigma has not been eradicated, despite every effort to educate the public to the practical need for parity in funding, research and treatment for both mental and physical anomalies, as well as the compassionate need for the same kind of empathy for mental patients as we give to cancer patients.

Here are some facts: 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition every year. 1 in 20 lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In addition to the person directly experiencing a mental illness, family, friends and communities are also affected.

When we think about cancer, heart disease or diabetes, we don’t wait years to treat them. We start before Stage 4. We begin with prevention. We don’t ignore them. So why don’t we do the same for individuals who are dealing with potentially serious mental illness?

Perhaps because people may not realize that their symptoms are being caused by a mental health condition or they feel ashamed to pursue help because of the stigma associated with mental illness. It’s up to all of us to know the signs and to take action so that mental illnesses can be caught early and treated. People can and do recover and reclaim their lives.

One way to see if you or a loved one may be experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition is to take a screening. Visit www.mhascreening.org to take a quick, confidential screening for a variety of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, mood disorders or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

There are many treatment options, ranging from talk therapy to medication to peer support, and, although it may take time for a person to find the right treatment or combination of treatments that work best for them, the results can be life-changing.

For more information about what you should know and what you can do at each stage, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may. And get information from local low cost facilities, like www.faulkcenterforcounseling.org.