Reassurance please

[Healthanxietyhater]

Does anyone get those types of headaches where it feels like squeezing? Sometimes it's in my temples sometimes it's in the back of the head sometimes it's in the top... I've had this for about over a year now and had a ct scan but like a true health anxiety sufferer I still got a brain tumour. I really need reassurance today

[Christory77]

I have this a lot. I’ve seen many people saying they have it also. Sometimes Tylenol works others it doesn’t. I mostly end up waiting for it to pass.

[Isaack]

Yesss!!! I had those headaches before!! It is obsoletly nothing to worry about!! You are just experiencing anxiety symptoms. The best thing to do is to relax and drink a cup of cold water.

[Healthanxietyhater in reply to Isaack]

Last night was horrible it felt like my brain was going to explode or something and my head felt heavy 😩 I've had it so much I can never get use to it

[Isaack in reply to Healthanxietyhater]

Yeah you will be fine don't worry!! Sometimes by thinking about it, it makes it worse. It's crazzy how anxiety works.

[Hidden]

I've gotten some insane pressure buildup where it felt like a balloon was being blown up in my head with each breath - VERY strange, but all a symptom of anxiety.

[Judipat]

Fear of a brain tumor is such a common fear with people suffering anxiety.

Pains/sensations in the head vary from the feeling of something heavy on top of your head, the feeling your head is in a vice, pressure, like your head is going to explode, and a feeling your head is too heavy.

It's sometimes hard to believe that all these symptoms and more are all caused by anxiety so we often seek reassurance from doctors and tests etc.

If you suffer with this, make sure your shoulders are relaxed . When a person is anxious, they tense all their muscles and their shoulders are quite often up around their ears!!! They are often unaware of this but making a conscious effort to relax your shoulders will start to receive the pressure in your head.

[Agora1]

Healthanxietyhater, I can reassure you that you are not alone with this type of headache. Better known as tension or muscular contraction headache. Right from the start, I was told if it feels like you are wearing a tight hat or a tight band around your head it is a tension headache. So the thought of it being something more sinister never entered my mind.

That's important, because as long as there is that sliver of doubt in your mind, your body can't relax which can make the headaches more frequent and more severe. I had a little ritual whenever I would feel them coming on which was frequently. That was my sign from my body that I needed to back up a little from stress. I'd put everything aside because this was going to be my time, my "me" time.

For me, I started with a Tylenol, cup of decaf coffee and a hot microwavable should/neck wrap. Sat on the couch with the lights low and just breathe. Bring shoulders down with each breathe. Feel the muscles in the face, jaw and neck relax. Within a hour or so, the tightness was gone or at least significantly less. It was actually a part of anxiety that made me learn how to relax and let stress go. There is a lesson learned in everything we experience in life. This was one of them. xx

[Healthanxietyhater in reply to Agora1]

Thank your agora so much for your helpful reply again! I must say I do feel better after a hot shower but sometimes when I massage my head it goes really tight for a second then relaxes it's really weird! But it does feel a bit better after, has this ever happened to you? Xx

[Agora1 in reply to Healthanxietyhater]

Yes, I am very sensitive to massage of any kind to relieve tension in my head. Even when going to physical therapy, I couldn't relax if she wanted to use some tension in my neck and back of my head by stretching the muscles. She would pull and I would tense up and draw back. So it doesn't surprise me of the reaction you feel even with doing it yourself.

I always say whatever works best for you is the answer to go with. xx