New Jersey residents who suffer from migraine headaches may find that all they can do is lie down in a quiet, dark room until the agony of the headache subsides, which could take days. However, according to a recent study, the chronic pain one experiences if they have migraine headaches could increase the chance a person will develop a generalized anxiety disorder. According to the research, adults who suffer from migraine headaches are 6 percent more at risk of developing an anxiety disorder, compared to the 2 percent chance of those who don’t have migraine headaches.
There may be several factors that contribute to the propensity of developing an anxiety disorder if one also suffers from migraine headaches. One factor is the debilitating chronic pain migraine headache sufferers endure. Another factor is the inability to manage household responsibilities when one has a migraine headache. Moreover, migraine headaches are often uncontrollable and can come on with little to no warning. According to the research, men who suffered from migraine headaches were nearly two times as likely as women to develop a generalized anxiety disorder.
In addition, if a migraine headache sufferer did not have the social support needed to cope with their condition, they were five times as likely to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder in comparison to migraine headache sufferers who had at least one person to reach out to for support. However, in the end researchers concluded that it is important for physicians to keep an eye out for mental health issues in patients who suffer from migraine headaches.
As this shows, anxiety disorders may arise from physical disorders at times. Unfortunately, mental disorders sometimes get overlooked when treating the physical disorder that caused it. A mental disorder can be just as debilitating as a physical disorder, especially if it keeps a person from being able to leave their home or even being able to take care of their daily needs. When this happens, those who suffer from anxiety attacks due to chronic pain may want to talk to an attorney about the possibility of seeking Social Security disability benefits for anxiety disorders.
