Headaches from agoraphobia

[Jamesflames]

Does anyone else get headaches after a bit of agoraphobia?
My job involves travelling around my local area and the furthest places I go inevitably lead to feeling very anxious. I try to stick to CBT methods of evaluating my feelings and dismissing distorted thoughts but it is very tiring. I often find that after a few hours of this I get a headache and start to feel feverishly hot. It almost feels like I'm coming down with a cold. This feeling takes several hours to pass.

[Greg17]

I don't get headaches, but I certainly feel drained after battling with myself! Anytime we're run down in such a way, we're more susceptible to illnesses. I guess we just have to try to be kinder to ourselves while the battle rages :)

[flossie]

It sounds very much like muscle tension causing your headaches. The anxiety causes us to hold our muscles quite tightly, especially across the shoulders and neck area. Personally I hold my jaw and tongue tight often without realising I am doing it. Deliberately clench your jaw, push your tongue against the roof of your mouth, pull your shoulders high and frown. You can feel how the stress on the muscles move up over the head so it is understandable that after even a short while a headache will occur.
If you are worried at any time then it might be a good idea to talk to your GP next time you are there but headaches are a common anxiety symptom.

[Jamesflames]

Thanks for the replies.

It's not something that worries me but just a recurring pattern. I reckon you're right about the muscle tension over time. A few months back when I was getting CBT I caught the train to London which is well out of my comfort zone, and I found that I was so tense that my stomach muscles ached for days.

I can't wait for the time when I can truly relax when away from home. It's annoying that recovery takes so much time and effort!