Ds is getting a lot of headaches when stressed

[Strong Mama]

Has anyone elses children gone through this.He is almost 14, and lately, when he is worrying about school, or other things, or has been in trouble, he is giving himself headaches. He is also a little hypochondriac about symptoms, too. HELP!

[waterproofmascara]

I teach 8th grade, so every day I have 100 13 & 14 y.o.s with various symptoms- headaches, stomachaches, etc. The best solution I have found is rubber bands. Plain old 100 for $1 rubber bands. If a child has an ailment that seems stress induced I give them a rubber band to fiddle with. It has cut out trips to the nurse by about 75%.

I know it sounds insane but it works wonders. It gives them something else to focus on and gets their mind off their problems. I never give a test without handing out rubber bands, and some of my kids will even come and request one if they have a test in another room.

I never realized how crazy this seemed to others until a parent called me about it, but now she is doing it at home with her daughter, and is quite pleased with the results she gets too.

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by Transitions

Has anyone elses children gone through this.He is almost 14, and lately, when he is worrying about school, or other things, or has been in trouble, he is giving himself headaches. He is also a little hypochondriac about symptoms, too. HELP!

I think you hit it. It sounds like a stress response. I would look at ways to relieve some stress...if you can. Help him get organized, help him to see what he can control and what he cannot etc. Make sure he has enough good protein sources, plenty of water etc.

If the frequency is great and he is having trouble getting through most days without headaches, I'd consider having him talk with someone-- a school counselor or some other professional you trust. I think its very important to respond respectfully and quickly to teen worry/stress.

I'd also reconsider thinking of him as a hypocondriac,. Most kids who worry like this are stressed out, and they end up putting their fears on their own health-- it's a lot easier to tell someone you have a stomachache than it is to express your fears over something much greater than you can control. Be careful about misplacing his fears/stress/concerns.

[manitobamama]

I had horrible headaches as a preteen and teen, I think it was totally stress related. I did grow out of them althouth if I am really stressed I will get a headache, I have learnt to cut the headache off before it starts.
I think the rubber bands are a great idea, it teaches them to find a way to let go of the stress! I use lots of mediation and deep breathing.
oh and I went to a lot of docs to figure out what was 'wrong' with me

[TovahNeryse]

Please don't assume he is a hypochondriac. When I hit puberty I suddenly started getting headaches and daily upset stomaches. I had reoccuring yeast infections and a dozen other problems that eventually turned into extremely horrible migraines that lasted until I had my daughter in 1/07. I was eventually told by my Dr about 6 months ago that most likely all the problems I experienced were hormonal and if anyone would have taken me seriously and run some tests may have been able to treat me rather than make me suffer years of constant health issues. My mom was the only one that ever believed me, but no one else ever did.
It's very possible that he may be exaggerating. It could be stress related, but it could also be something more. I really think you should do some research into ways of relieving stress for him (meditation, hobbies, etc) and if they do not help then I would think it's time to take him to a dr for a checkup.

Good luck!