The best current information is that the hypothalmus, a wee nodule at the base of the brain, is involved in triggering Cluster. Exactly what is going on is not yet clear nor is there understanding re. why we get "selected".

There is ongoing discuission about the role of stress. It appears that it can trigger an attack in an already established case of Cluster but not that it is a first cause.

Given your abuse history I'd encourage you to work out some of the remaining knots by working with a good therapist. Those of us from a mental health background are all too impressed/aware that these wounds don't disappear with age or desiring. But, still, a separate issue from Cluster.

Hey brother,

Many of us have deep rooted dark back stories in life.
That's a reality of bEing part of a community.

Did your unfortunate situation cause CH? The research would suggest otherwise.
Does it affect how you cope? It most definitely can.
The mental pain that one goes through can certainly be as much if not more than physical pain and it can persist when one cannot just take a pill, a shot or huff oxygen.

Learning how to cope with the anxiety and depression whether it be due to lifes tragedies or disorders is crucial in survival as a whole.

As Bob stated finding a good therapist is  huge.
Tackle everything step by step while learning strategies to help you not only deal with the interfering thought processes and how they evoke your behavior but learn how to function better overall.
I'm a huge proponent of CBT.

Anyway, best of luck to you

E

adamski wrote on May 29^th, 2011 at 5:47am:

what is the cause ....? has anyone dealing un-natural stress i mean been thorugh situations that should be unknown to life ..? things that shouldnt happen ...? childhood issues that are solved but unsolved mentaly...? ................... i have ....... so i wonder if its connected in anyway ? i was abused as a child from the age of 4 to about 16-17 so i wonder is it stress ...is it something the mind cant let go ? anyway let me know if ur ok with sharing your ordeal (journey) thank you

In answer to all of the above, in my personal opinion, the answer is NO.  However, how you handle your journey with CH  can be managed, and your life CAN be lived.  You, like all the rest of us clusterheads may have an anomaly in our hypothalamus that came to us at birth - not caused by any life experiences, abuse, or anything.  It just IS.

Now, stop trying to find somewhere, something, or someone to blame.  Start learning about CH and what can help you cope with it, manage it, and live a full life.

Sandy

adamski wrote on May 29^th, 2011 at 5:47am:

what is the cause ....? has anyone dealing un-natural stress i mean been thorugh situations that should be unknown to life ..? things that shouldnt happen ...? childhood issues that are solved but unsolved mentaly...? ................... i have ....... so i wonder if its connected in anyway ? i was abused as a child from the age of 4 to about 16-17 so i wonder is it stress ...is it something the mind cant let go ? anyway let me know if ur ok with sharing your ordeal (journey) thank you

Adam, I'm not at all clear that you are asking a question about the mind and how it relates to CHs. You're post is more than a little cryptic. Granted, this is a CH forum so one could make that assumption, but just in case you are probing a different aspect of your personal life, I invite you to PM me and discuss what else might be on your mind. If you've already received your answers above, please note this post will self-destruct in about 30 days or so. Blessings. lance

I am so sick of people asking me why I'm having these headaches...I DONT KNOW!!! If there was a way to stop them by not doing something don't they think I would not do what ever it is???

I just tell them we're special. We have an extra ganglion of nerves in our hypothalmus that upon some arcane signal, trigger off and hey presto! A cluster headache! That usually ends the discussion. Yup, it's frustrating. lance

Human beings are full of good intentions which are expressed in dumb ways!

For YOUR self-protection, try and respond to their questions as if they are arising from genuine concern. Thank them (without any attempt to explain the Clusters) for their concern/consideration.

Even if it their questions are not well intended, your response sets the tone/feeling for you. In the end, that's the worthy goal.

The world will never run out of jerks but we can exhaust outselves trying to fix them. <bg>

Adam, my take on your past and your CHs, just from my own CH and mental health issues, is that it's probably not the past that causes the CH, but the CH can drudge up a bunch of crap in your brain.  Clusters I've had while not on anti-depressants have always resulted in sending me into a deep depression.  I'd consider seeing a therapist.

Also, amen to the frustration over how others love to ask you or have their own opinions on why you get the CHs to begin with.  People just LOVE doing this, regardless of the disease.

wow thank you for your replies and my past is in my past ..trails and tribulations define us and make us who we are ....this is a forum a cummunity is the word used by others....ii suppose its good one question can trigger somany responsessome bad some good ....the reason why i asked the quesion i asked in the first place is because i wanted to know if a truamatic event in life was a link to my ch...........and if you dont ask then you wont know ......and for the record i am not depressed ..far from from it ...just another grain of sand in this illusion called life....and in regards of ch i have found a method that is right for me (for the moment) .....knuckle in and dig deep ..after every storm and all that ....

A very wise man from Kansas once said, "Adversity doesn't build character. It reveals it."