A Veteran CH Sufferer Recalls

"I have thought about experiences from childhood. It’s been so long ago, some of it is a bit vague, but what I remember mostly was the effort and deep thought put into trying to stop the pain. I can remember waking up, starting to cry and then the urge to fight came. In order to combat it myself; I would press my head against the mattress, then press my temple against the bedpost, I would often put the top of my head on the mattress and push it down.

I also remember times when I would use the doorjamb to press against and that led me to the doorknob—with that I was able to press in more precise areas of my head - temple, top, on my eye, etc. That is also when I began to strike my head against the knob.

It’s also why (the banging) my family decided to take me to another type of doctor and ask that they look into something other than allergies. The allergy tests were useless, and the medication seemed to make the headaches last longer. I do not remember all the tests, but I took quite a lot at the local hospital.

I guess the above falls into the years of 7 thru maybe 17. At that age I was able to find other things to ease the pain - doc or no doc."

Last modified: 2002