Stress, emotions and CH

[Purple]

will post this as a new thread, but it's following a small exchange on the subject there was on my thread on share your busting...

 

Before I go on, as said in that thread, feeding you with my (flourishing but) chaotic thinking, I'd like to make a point on stress.

 

I always knew my clusters came when stress relieved, after 45 minutes of sleep for example, but I also remember many times driving back from work with strong shadows, exploding in a sudden kip5-6 as soon as I park the car in my alley.

 

Certainly stress is not the cause of CH per say. My thinking on CH recently (that I should post here in the next future) wasn't about stress, but when I met my brother last Holidays, and he again told me considered himself not a clusterhead anymore, I think it's 4-5 years he is painfree, and later discussing this with my mother by email, I linked this to my last cycle, last sept.-oct.

 

It suddenly came to me that for my brother, CH had started when real big stress came in his life, and it vanished when he retired, which came about same time that the three youngsters left the house for good.

 

Then I remembered how much stress I went through last spring and summer, when I couldn't find an apt that suited my (very small) budget and the fact that I have a german shepperd. It went as far as considering living in the street or putting my old dog to sleep  . I searched from March until 2 weeks before my lease ended end of June, then had to search again for it was temporary.

 

I mean big stress, not just like, ohhh this upcoming dinner stresses me out...

 

Like the big stress my brother suddenly had at age... what, 36? when he found himself father of three with more or less a job (well successfull cab driver, but still, stress of driving, long crazy hours...)

 

My cycle came after two moves within 6 weeks and finally a cool place to live. Big stress release, bang, here comes Charlie.

 

And as for emotions, well actually, I don't feel that many emotions so it's hard to tell haha (details later) but for sure crying is a trigger for me, whatever the reason for crying. But emotions are often related or follow a period of stress, or bring it, so...

 

So stress.

 

Apart from this terrible cycle I had last fall which as I explain came after a big stress relief, I feel that I can generally speaking compose more easily with the threat of CH, the every day shadows (I do have shadows all the time between cycles) since I don't work anymore and don't give much of a damn anymore about anything, politics, every day events, whatever. I don't get involved anymore. Well I cut all sources of stress.

 

(for me) It's as much related to CH than cardiovascular issues are, if not more. Stress, that is.

 

So I think if stress is not in the causes section of CH, it certainly is in the category of: things to be avoided if you're a clusterhead, and I think that should be one of the first response from the medical services: take a break! (paid of course)

 

well I guess that's not possible for everyone.

I adjusted my needs to a very low level of income, and F. the rest. 

Do we necessarily have to be productive in this world?

I feel I'm quite productive in thinking, that should be enough

no more stress plz

 

[spiny]

I used to have a friend who would cope just great thru tons of stress. Then, when the event passed would be incapacitated major migraines. She called them stress relief migraines because that is how she experienced them.

 

Personally, I recently went thru major stress. Made it thru 2 weeks just fine. Then, the day after I returned home and some of the load lifted, the big event hit: My first daytime hits combined with my high cycle nighttime hits. It really was hard. None of my normal methods of pain relief were touching it. I even went to the doc and begged for some trex pills just to get some relief. Kinda of a major response on my part!! Always refused trex. But, the pillls gave just enough relief that I could catch a break for a few hours a day - not PF by any means, but able to cope. This lasted 5 days and nights.

 

So, I do agree that stress is a kicker for CH. Not really a cause for me, but certainly a big kick in the wrong direction. While it cannot be avoided totally for me, I do try to minimize my response to it and I do believe that helps.

 

I am really glad that you are in a better place Purp.