Family Law and Headaches

June brings us National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. Stress can be a major cause of headaches, and few things are as stressful as a family law case. For most, family law cases affect the most important aspects of their lives – their children, their marriage, and their home. This month, we are talking about some remedies for those stress headaches caused by your case.

Reducing Stress Can Help Stop Headaches

Minimizing stress is the best way to stave off headaches before they even begin. When you enter into a family law case, be sure to take steps to de-stress, for both your mental and physical health. Life during a major change like a divorce can be hectic. It is important to prioritize your time to decompress. Having a space where you can relax and separate yourself from your case is always good. Maybe put on some soothing music, make a cup of tea, and curl up somewhere comfortable with a book or podcast for a while.

Tips to Reduce Stress

Regular exercise and yoga can release endorphins and lower your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Also be sure to get enough sleep and practice good sleep habits; being tired can be stressful even without dramatic life changes like a family law case. You can also utilize massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic care to relieve muscle tension and keep the stress you can’t avoid from impacting you physically.

Since it is impossible to get rid of all the stress of a family law case, you may still find yourself with a stress headache despite these changes. Most people who get a stress headache immediately turn to a bottle of Tylenol, but this may not be your best choice.

Too much of medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, or NSAIDs like Aleve can cause excessive bleeding or liver and kidney damage. If you are going to use over-the-counter painkillers, be sure to follow all recommendations on the bottle and don’t use them for more than a few days in a row. If it’s possible, switch medications regularly, alternating doses of Advil and Tylenol, for instance, to avoid putting too much stress on individual organs. Take advantage of the number of alternatives to over-the-counter medications when dealing with the stress headaches caused by divorce or custody cases.

Hydration is Key to Reducing Stress Headaches

If you sense a stress headache coming on, start by drinking a big glass of water, as dehydration can make a stress headache worse. Stopping to focus on the feel or temperature of the water can be grounding, helping reduce your underlying stress. Deep breathing can have a similar effect, providing your brain with more oxygen and helping to create calm. Follow that with a cup of ginger tea to decrease inflammation. A hot compress to ease muscle tension or a cold compress to reduce swelling can also give some relief. Peppermint oil applied to the temples has been shown to help with stress headaches. Taking a magnesium supplement has also been shown to help, although it can have side effects in some people, so be careful to start with a small dose.

Dealing with divorce or custody is always going to be a major headache, but it doesn’t have to be a physical headache too. Taking care of yourself and having natural remedies on hand can help keep you going through even the most stressful cases.