A large portion of the Australian population suffer from severe headaches and migraines.  For many, the frequently recurring headaches and migraines can be a big problem.  A lot of headache sufferers feel that their partners, employers or friends do not fully understand how difficult it can be to live with severe headache and migraine attacks.  For some, the constant arguments, the feeling of being understood, the missed social events, work days, career and study opportunities and more, may eventually result in an overwhelming number of social, work or relationship problems.  For some sufferers, when two or more of these sorts of problems occur together, they can start to feel depressed and anxious.

Fortunately, aside from medication, there are psychological treatments available for headaches and migraines that have proven effective.  These treatments have been shown to reduce the frequency of headaches, and also improve life difficulties, such as relationship problems, anxiety, depression and more.  Professor Paul Martin at Griffith University is recognised worldwide as one of the biggest names when it comes to treatment of headaches and migraines.  He has provided an intensive training course in headache and migraine treatment to a few selected psychologists on the Gold Coast.

Headache and migraine sufferers are free to ring in and make an appointment to have their particular form of pain assessed.  Most private health funds offer rebates for this service.  However, for many, the journey to improvement will begin with their GP.  It is an excellent idea to ask your doctor more about available psychological treatments for headaches.  As previously mentioned, headaches may be accompanied by anxiety, depression, and other psychological difficulties.  If this is the case for you, you may qualify for a Mental Health Care Plan which includes 6-10 sessions of psychological treatment rebated by Medicare.  If you think that psychological treatment is right for you, ask your GP for more information.