For a long time you may have been wondering if depression and headaches are somehow connected, especially considering how sometimes you feel that whenever you feel depressed, headaches are also not that behind. This is because it is one of the most common symptoms of depression. So, if you ever ask the question, “Can depression cause headaches”, then you have come to the right place, as we might just be the guys who might be able to help you in this regard after we go through some of the basic stuff together!
What are Headaches?
When it comes to the question, “Can depression cause headaches?” or to the link between headaches and depression, we need to define what headaches are clearly. Headaches are a type of sharp, throbbing pain that takes place in different regions of your brain, which usually takes place due to underlying conditions. Headaches can be classified into different types but which type you are suffering from depends on the region and intensity of the pain all of these have these common symptoms:
- Dull aches that continue for long periods
- Sharp and throbbing pain
- Radiation of pain across different regions
Some of these types are listed below:
Tension Headaches
The most common type of headache that sometimes can be present along with depression. In this type of headache, one feels a throbbing pain in the middle of the head and that pain also goes down all the way to the neck. This usually arises from something like stress or anxiety. These tend to cover the scalp part of the head and neck and are usually secondary to clinical depression.
Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches are spontaneous. This type of headache has a tendency to stay with you for extended periods of long hours or even days. Migraines can cause:
- Nauseated Feeling
- Extreme Sensitivity to Light
- Hindrance to Everyday Activities
- Snags in Important Stuff, e.g. Work Commitments
The points above can be considered as signs of depression headaches. Migraines can come into existence directly due to the presence of depression or before predominantly on its onset, effectively answering your question, “Can depression cause headaches?”. Depression can also be caused by the consistent and constant onslaught of successive migraines.
Sinus Headaches
This is the one where you feel pain in the forehead, around the cheeks, and the nose, which is where your sinuses are located. It is really not one of those headaches from depression but its presence can decrease the overall quality of life.
What is Depression?
When you feel extremely sad for an extended period of time, then it means you are probably suffering from a clinical form of depression. Depression has many symptoms which include but are not limited to:
- Everlong Fatigue
- Unhealthy Sleep Pattern
- Social Anxiety and Avoidance
- Decreased Libido
- Uncontrollable Periods of Crying
- Loss Of Interest in Anything
- Feelings of Worthlessness & Guilt
- Hopelessness and Dejection
- Impulsivity and Irritability
- Anxiety and Stress
So how does it relate to the question of, “Can depression cause headaches?” Well, as we have mentioned before, headaches are one of the most common symptoms of depression. Predominantly these are either tension headaches that arise as a secondary symptom of depression or primary symptoms when it is there as a migraine headache.
The Link Between Headaches and Depression
As we have said before, there are two types of headaches associated with clinical depression, and the relationship between depression and headaches itself is a complex one. Studies suggest that there is a high correlation between depression and headaches, so much so that mental health professionals suggest screening for depression as part of treatment for migraine. The relationship between depression and headaches is strongly linked to the presence of stress and anxiety. Additional studies also suggested how psychological stress and the associated depression are highly prevalent markers of migraines too. The presence of depression also increases the likelihood of frequent tension headaches. Hopefully, this provides a comprehensive answer to the question, “Can depression cause headaches?”.
Bipolar Disorder and Headaches
Bipolar disorder, which was previously called “manic depression”, has two types of extreme moods that fall on the opposite side of each other on the spectrum. One is mania, which is characterized by extreme forms of happiness and excitement and the other one is literally depression. So, the question of the day becomes, can depression cause headaches while you are suffering from bipolar disorder? Recent studies suggest that is true as people who suffer from bipolar disorder, especially from bipolar disorder 2 also tend to suffer from headaches, particularly migraines.
The Risk Factors That Relate To Depression And Headaches
The actual reality of what causes what cannot be pinpointed properly. However, there are risk factors that lead to depression and headaches. It could be that it goes both ways. The likelihood of both ailments increases when either of them are present. This suggests that headaches from depression are also possible while it can also be vice versa. But the risk is way stronger when it comes to the relationship between migraines and depression.
But what actually causes them to present themselves in your life in the first place? It might be some of these or a combination of the factors below:
- Chemical Imbalance: Certain chemical messengers in your brain are tasked with regulating moods and feelings such as the neurotransmitters called serotonin and norepinephrine. When there is an abnormal imbalance of these neurotransmitters, it can lead to depression and headaches like migraines.
- Environment: The type of environment you live in and your surroundings also play in the prevalence of depression and head pains in your life. Hypothetically speaking, if you happen to belong to a poor household where abuse is the norm, then you most likely suffer from headaches and depression.
- Genetics: If you have a family history of prevalent disease or mental illness, it usually means that you are probably going to get it too. So, if depression and head pain run in your family, you will probably suffer from these too.
- Substance Abuse: Depression and its associated symptoms like headaches will elevate in someone if that person has a substance abuse problem.
- Unhealthy Sleep Patterns: One of the biggest contributors to depression and headaches is an unhealthy sleep lifestyle as it can lead to problems such as chemical imbalance, which also lead to the said ailments.
- Other Medical Conditions: Medical conditions like heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome have been linked to headaches and depression.
Treatment
When it comes to addressing a question like, “Can depression cause headaches?” What has to be done? It is important to treat both depression and any type of headache disorder. While mild tension headaches can be treated with over-the-counter pain relief medicine, a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to treatment is needed to treat the elevated forms of depression and headaches. First of all, we are going to talk about how they work individually, and then we are going to work towards which ones work best for headaches and depression.
Psychotherapy:
It is a type of talk therapy, where a patient and a mental health professional work out ways to let the patient resolve mental issues that might be a contributing factor in problematic behavior. While migraine does not currently have any cure, together with depression it is highly treatable. Psychotherapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) where the therapists try to change the thought patterns through tasks like homework and role-playing can be used to treat depression. Biofeedback therapy, where the affected individual is connected to a machine that gives biofeedback based on specific stimuli, can be used to treat headaches as this way the correct triggers can be identified.
Medication:
Different types of medication are suitable for both headaches and depression and the suitability is dependent on the prescription made by a mental health professional. Some considerations should also be made when taking medication for headaches and depression. This will add to answers that relate to a question like, “Can depression cause headaches”.
Antidepressants
People affected with depression tend to have a lower number of chemical messengers like Serotonin and Norepinephrine. Antidepressants like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) and their norepinephrine versions are used to boost the level of chemical messengers that regulate mood and feelings, which can help treat depression. This medication will not directly treat headaches though but will help with subsiding depression, which will directly lead to the abating of headaches. An example of this would be Prozac.
OTC Pain Relievers
Over-the-counter pain medication is one good way to relieve the pain associated with headaches or migraines. These can provide temporary relief but will never take care of the underlying problems associated with either of the ailments described in the subject matter. Additionally, never try to take these when taking antidepressants, as it is a cocktail that you do not want to drink.
Lifestyle Changes
Some changes in the overall routine of your life can go a long way to become beneficial for you if it can be done diligently. You will feel that you feel less and fewer symptoms of either depression or headaches if you go through with any of the scripts. These changes are listed below:
- High-intensity exercise
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Taking up a new hobby
- Attend social gatherings
- Reducing stress
- Improved diet
Concluding Words
We have gone through the symptoms of both headaches and depression and have basically laid down some of the ways these can be treated. This was done to answer questions like, “Can depression cause headaches?” and to create a discourse on the subject matter. If you would like to treat mental conditions like depression or headache, then we at Inland Empire Behavioral Group are more than equipped to handle problems such as those described above and even others like Anxiety, Panic Disorders, Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, or Bipolar Disorder.
