Article Updated: August 2008
Cluster Headaches (aka Suicide Headaches)
Cluster Headaches affect around the same number of people in the UK as are affected by Multiple Sclerosis.
Very little is known about what causes a cluster headache and what can be done to treat and stop the attacks. Doctors are often unfamiliar with the condition and diagnosis usually has to made through a neurosurgeon.
The symptoms of cluster headaches are severe and relentless and just listening to a sufferer describe the pain can be enough to make your eyes bleed. The devastating pain can be accompanied by droopy eyelids, blocked or runny nostrils, flushing and facial sweating. In extreme cases, sufferers have been known to resort to drastic measures, including suicide, to end the pain.
As cluster headaches are not well understood at the moment, there is no reliable medical treatment for them and a trial and error combination of oxygen, steroids and drugs is what is often prescribed. The effectiveness of all of the drugs has not yet been proven and some are known to have unpleasant side-effects if used long-term. In fact some sufferers cannot take the steroids and drugs as the side-effects are worse than the actual cluster headache.
The Emotional Root of a Cluster Headache
As it is typical for a cluster headache to recur at regular intervals (sometimes a year to the day), it seems logical to suspect that there is a psychological cause triggering a biological reaction.
Using a blend of therapies (NLP, EFT, Clinical Hypnotherapy, Timelines), we started a trial (initially with two sufferers) to target the root cause (emotional and psychological) together with the physical symptom (the cluster headache)
The main questions we had to answer were:
- Is it possible to uncover the psychological / emotional cause of a cluster headache?
- Is it possible to neutralise the cause and stop the headaches happening at all?
- Is it possible to do this using drug-free and non-invasive talk and energy therapy based treatments?
One client was at the early "shadow pain" stage of his cycle when he came for treatment. The symptoms he was showing were familiar precursors to his annual attack. The other client was in his remission cycle with a few months to go before his expected cluster attack.
The therapy and coaching took place over a handful of sessions and involved an intensely focused, yet gentle approach on certain aspects of the clients emotions, reactions and behaviours.
After the therapy and coaching sessions, both clients reported total emotional relief from the factors unearthed as the probable cause. The shadow pains of the first client disappeared within a few hours of his first session and did not develop into a cluster attack.
Peak Performance Coaching Therapy and Cluster Headaches
Since this trial in December 2007, both sufferers remain free of cluster headaches. Neither has experienced any shadow pain or any other symptom since then.
Others sufferers have since approached Reeta for therapy. They have undergone the same process and have also had the same level of success. And all through basic "talk therapy" with no drugs or chemicals or invasive procedures.
JT from Bucks says "Words almost fail me. It [the cluster headache cycle] just got cut short and I'm almost afraid to believe what it means that it hasn't come back on. Some hairy moments when I thought I felt a shadow but I did as you said and I've been clear! I've suffered these for nearly fifteen years so to say this has changed my life would be the understatement of the year! Physically the scans show there is nothing wrong with me so I believe it was as you said trapped emotions in my mind. Very interesting therapy. I feel good."
Some of your frequently asked questions
How do you dissolve an emotional trigger?
A combination of powerful therapies including clinical hypnotherapy and hypnoanalysis, EFT and NLP are used to tap into the causal event and help to "unblock" the tension that remains in your body. The therapies are "talk therapies" and are physically non-intrusive. Read more about these therapies here.
Do I need to be in the middle of a cluster attack while I am having therapy?
No you don't. It is actually easier for you if you are not. The therapy assumes that there is an emotional trigger to your cluster headache. This emotional trigger can be found and dissolved at any stage of your cycle. Once the emotional cause has been addressed and dissolved, the cause of your cluster headache has been removed which means that a future attack cannot be triggered.
I am having a cluster attack now, can you treat me today?
You need to be registered with us for this. Registration is free and if you are thinking of delaying therapy until your cluster headache strikes, please do take the time to register beforehand. We will not be able to help you if you are not registered.
If you know that a cluster attack is imminent but has not actually started yet, it's better for you to book a session straight away geared towards reducing the impact and possibly averting it. It makes sense to plan ahead with a cluster headache - if you have found this page because you are a sufferer, please book a free initial consultation to register and find out more about the treatment and therapy.
If you are in the middle of an attack and are registered, please telephone Reeta Luthra on 01296 426413 or 07952 843123. Depending on the severity and your location, telephone treatment or a home visit may be possible. Leave a message if you reach the answering machine.
I do not live near you. Is it possible to do talk therapy over the phone?
This very much depends on what stage of your cluster cycle you are in.
If you are in the remission stage of your cycle or if you are in the calm phase between attacks, then telephone therapy can work very well. Please book a free introduction session to find out more about the process and to see if telephone coaching suits you.
However, if you are currently in the middle of the white heat of an attack, telephone therapy can be difficult. As a sufferer, you already know the excruciating pain prevents you from normal conversation. But if you are able to follow a conversation and follow basic instructions (even if you cannot talk or form coherent thoughts), then a phone session may help you.
Can I bring my partner with me?
Yes you may. There is no separate waiting area at my premises so your partner will sit in at your session with you. An advantage of this is that he/she can experience your therapy with you - a disadvantage is that you may feel uncomfortable revealing emotional issues in front of your companion.
What are the charges?
A summary of rates and charges is listed here.
(Note: Earlybird July/August 2008 Offer - book a session starting at 9am any weekday during July and August 2008 and only pay half price)
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Go to: General FAQ's regarding therapy coaching
Unanswered Question? Email:enquiries@paradoxofreality.com
If you suffer from cluster headaches and would like to experience some targeted therapy and coaching or find out more about the process, please contact Reeta Luthra on 01296 426413. There is no obligation and all calls are confidential.
Questions? enquiries@paradoxofreality.com
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