Chronic Daily Headache on the Johns Hopkins website

This is encouraging - NOT! From the Johns Hopkins Headache Center website:

"Over 90 percent of patients with CDH [chronic daily headache] have co-existing psychiatric problems, most often anxiety or depression (or both). This makes an already challenging condition even harder to treat. In general, such patients will not improve without some sort of co-existing psychiatric care, counseling, biofeedback, or the like. Unfortunately, few patients choose to undergo this necessary step toward improving their condition and reducing their disability."
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/headache/conditions/chronic_daily_headache.html

I've read that Johns Hopkins is one of the best places in the U.S. to go for migraines. But do they have to be so blunt? - "few patients choose to undergo this necessary step " - sounds like they are blaming the victim.

I've done the biofeedback and counseling in the past. It didn't fix me. And my current insurance is so lousy I can't afford psychiatric care even though I know I'm an anxious person. I've tried and am trying. Tonight I'm up at 3:30 in the morning and I know this will trigger a headache. But sometimes The Sandman fails to pay me a visit.

OH well - at least I was able to enjoy Thanksgiving with a mild headache at about a 2 out of 10. I am thankful for that.

I don't think I am naturally a depressed person. I had to stress this to my neurologist but the headaches do get me down and over time my self esteem has been eroded along with my relationships, career prospects and finances.

I personally think that some decent talking therapy would be a great adjunct to treatment but in the Uk it's more than the UK can afford. I know that in the US some migraine patients get Art therapy which is supposed to e really effective with chronic pain disorders but I can't see that happening here.

I'm in the US and I cannot afford talk therapy or counseling with what passes for insurance here at my current job. I went online to see if there are any migraine or chronic pain support groups in my area, but there aren't any. Chronic pain is enough to make anyone down. The impact on a person's family, social, and work life can be enormous. It makes sense that we's need counseling and support.

I know it's not the same as actually getting proper professional support but there are some books by an Art Therapist called Lucia Capacchione such as the Creative Journal and others that I have used and found helpful. You can often pick them up really cheaply second hand as well so that might be of interest to you.

hmmm thats interesting - although not what I am finding at all.......... I would challenge anyone who has daily pain not to get fed up and depressed once in a while............. and while I totally agree that support and counselling should be offered to everyone.........I am not sure the the co illnesses are 2 illnesses that just occur (Am I reading it wrong?) I read that article that 'depression and anxiety' cause the migraine or start together - I would say migraine causes the depression....

I have to say via this fourm and a few facebook page groups I a on - I have now met around 700 people with migraine worldwide and the fast majority are very strong, with a great sense of humour and an amazing fighting spirit............ of course everyone goes down once in a while (we have all) but my god do we bounce back to fighting