Random head pains that come and go, and pain when I press on my head?

[anxious_thoughts]

Hello guys, how has everyone been doing?
I haven't been on here in a while because I've been super busy with my schooling. Although, I still get my regular brain tumour anxiety symptoms :(

I'm not too sure why I keep getting them, but I always have constant head pains that come and go in seconds. For the most part they are easy to handle but every once in a while I get really strong ones but only last seconds. Also, when I press on the spots that hurt it makes it hurt even more. Even sometimes if I just randomly press on spots on my scalp it hurts as well..does anyone know what causes this? I've had both of these for like 7 years.

I've done blood tests, neuro exam, and even an eye exam and everything is great. Just super worried that there's an actual brain tumour that no one knows about.. :(

[HoneyLove]

Jenn you're forgetting that your scalp is covered in muscle and muscle reacts to anxiety by tightening and getting sore. If you're pressing in on spots on your head they're definitely going to hurt!

I'm pretty certain that sore spots on your scalp is not a symptom of a tumor in your brain, it doesn't work that way.

I'm not sure, but I think we may have talked about TMJ dysfunction before? Tender spots on your scalp can be a symptom of the tense muscle that results from TMJ. TMJ can be caused by or worsened by stress and anxiety. And pains in your scalp are often muscle tension too, especially if your neck is tight from stress. I get them sometimes too.

You need to do some work on what is underneath your brain tumour fear, because really it's not the brain tumour you're afraid of. Are you getting any help with therapy or CBT?

There's a great CBt exercise you can try called Peeling The Onion that's good for looking at the fear underneath your anxieties. Write down the fear that you're having trouble with - in your case you could write down Im afraid of having a brain tumour.

Then look at the fear and use these questions to get to what's underneath it: Why? Who? How? Where? What? When?

So for example you could ask Why am I afraid of a brain tumour or What will happen if I have a brain tumour? Write down the answer as it comes to you and then use the questions to examine it again. So for example if you said, I'm afraid of going to the hospital you should then ask Why am I afraid if going to the hospital?

And so on until you come to the fear underneath, and believe me, you'll know it when you come to it. Often this is a process that's hard or that may make you cry when you look at the fear underneath it all. But, you can use the answers you find to help you get past the anxiety and work on your problems, it'll help you get a better idea of who you are in life and what you can do to help yourself out of this anxious place.

I hope that helps a bit xxx

[Speranza]

It sounds very like sinus pain but they would have surely found that.

However, it wouldn't do any harm to try inhaling steam - that will relax you even if it doesn't deal with the headaches.

[anxious_thoughts]

Jenn you're forgetting that your scalp is covered in muscle and muscle reacts to anxiety by tightening and getting sore. If you're pressing in on spots on your head they're definitely going to hurt!

I'm pretty certain that sore spots on your scalp is not a symptom of a tumor in your brain, it doesn't work that way.

I'm not sure, but I think we may have talked about TMJ dysfunction before? Tender spots on your scalp can be a symptom of the tense muscle that results from TMJ. TMJ can be caused by or worsened by stress and anxiety. And pains in your scalp are often muscle tension too, especially if your neck is tight from stress. I get them sometimes too.

You need to do some work on what is underneath your brain tumour fear, because really it's not the brain tumour you're afraid of. Are you getting any help with therapy or CBT?

There's a great CBt exercise you can try called Peeling The Onion that's good for looking at the fear underneath your anxieties. Write down the fear that you're having trouble with - in your case you could write down Im afraid of having a brain tumour.

Then look at the fear and use these questions to get to what's underneath it: Why? Who? How? Where? What? When?

So for example you could ask Why am I afraid of a brain tumour or What will happen if I have a brain tumour? Write down the answer as it comes to you and then use the questions to examine it again. So for example if you said, I'm afraid of going to the hospital you should then ask Why am I afraid if going to the hospital?

And so on until you come to the fear underneath, and believe me, you'll know it when you come to it. Often this is a process that's hard or that may make you cry when you look at the fear underneath it all. But, you can use the answers you find to help you get past the anxiety and work on your problems, it'll help you get a better idea of who you are in life and what you can do to help yourself out of this anxious place.

I hope that helps a bit xxx

Hello HoneyLove, thank you so much for your very helpful response!
I just worry as my scalp is painful 24/7, although we have spoken about TMJ before because I think I have it. Hmm, would TMJ even cause pain on my scalp on the back of my head? It seems like the pain is all over, not so bad on the back though.

During the summer I was in CBT therapy but since school is back again I haven't been back. It was helpful, and I've noticed my anxiety gets really bad when I'm not busy, so school is quite helpful.

The Peeling the Onion activity sounds very helpful, I will give it a try. Thanks so much, your answer has really made me feel better

Take care x

---------- Post added at 20:38 ---------- Previous post was at 20:36 ----------

It sounds very like sinus pain but they would have surely found that.

However, it wouldn't do any harm to try inhaling steam - that will relax you even if it doesn't deal with the headaches.

Hello Speranza, thanks for the reply and hope all is well

I Haven't done anything to tell if it could be sinus related, only recently have I thought it could be because every time I look down my head starts to feel funny, mostly in my forehead. Sometimes I get pain, sometimes my nose starts to feel ticklish. I will try to inhale some steam to see if it will clear my nostrils. Thank you

[kiska326]

I know it's a VERY late response, but I was just going to add that this sounds A LOT like what I am currently dealing with, and I just went to the doctor and they did a CT scan and said I have a mild chronic sinusitis. I was very paranoid after I did my CT scan as I have an anxiety as well and kept thinking I have a brain tumor or something like that..