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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffLiving with cluster headache can be very difficult. Cluster headaches can be frightening to you and to your family and friends. The debilitating attacks may seem unbearable.
In addition to the physical symptoms, the chronic pain that often accompanies cluster headache attacks can make you anxious or depressed. Ultimately, it may affect your interaction with friends and family, your productivity at work, and the overall quality of your life.
Talking to a counselor or therapist can help you cope with the effects of cluster headache. Or you may find encouragement and understanding in a headache support group. Although support groups aren't for everyone, they can be good sources of information.
You may also find support groups are a good place for you to share your experiences and hear other group members' experiences. If you're interested, your doctor may be able to recommend a group in your area.
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- May A. Cluster headache: Acute and preventive treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 4, 2013.
- Daroff RB, et al. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0434-1..00094-3--s0015&isbn=978-1-4377-0434-1&uniqId=407506908-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0434-1..00094-3--s0015. Accessed April 4, 2013.
- Cluster headaches. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Cluster_Headaches. Accessed April 10, 2013.
- Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed April 9, 2013.
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- Francis GJ, et al. Acute and preventive pharmacologic treatment of cluster headache. Neurology. 2010;75:463.
- Rossi P, et al. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cluster headache: Results of a multi-centre headache clinic survey. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2008;16:220.
- Sewell RA. Response of cluster headache to kudzu. Headache. 2009;49:98.
- Magis D, et al. Neurostimulation therapies for primary headache disorders: Present and future. Current Opinion in Neurology. 2012;25:269.
- U.S. News best hospitals 2012-2013. U.S. News & World Report. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings. Accessed April 4, 2013.
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