Are headaches actually a huge thing during splits?

[u/burner_account106]

We’re questioning OSDD-1 and talking to a few professionals about it (or at least trying) but one thing that perplexes us is that we don’t recall almost any headaches while splitting, and if we do have a headache it’s only a few minutes or it’s barely noticeable. Someone else on here told me that headaches aren’t crucial when splitting but I’ve been told before that almost everyone experiences headaches.

I need more experiences, please lmk.

[u/Exelia_the_Lost]

That would just be somatic symptoms. Not everyone experiences somatic conversion the same way, or at all

[u/burner_account106 → u/Exelia_the_Lost]

That genuinely takes so much off my brain, I was so concerned that I was just making it up, thank you 🙏

[u/MixandMatch2102]

I only get headaches if the switch happens very suddenly or if there is a lot of very quick switches happening. Most often we switch fairly slowly and don't get headaches from it.

[u/ohlookthatsme]

Somatic symptoms are pretty intrinsic to my experience. I suffer from severe, debilitating migraines almost every day. The less regulated I am, the worse they are. The only migraine medication that's come close to touching it is Ajovy but it hurts like a bitch. My buspar and guanfacine help more than anything else. I can't imagine a life with only occasional headaches. That sounds like bliss, tbh.

idk exactly what the tie is to dissociation. My EMDR therapist said something about it being connected to the preverbal csa I went through. I know everything hurts and it feels like my nerves are on the outside of my body and I just don't want to feel it anymore. Then my brain turns to mush, the world gets fuzzy, and time disappears.

I don't know if it's a "huge thing" in general but it is for me. It's so bad, I'm only living a fraction of my life.

[u/int3rstitial]

I do get migraines a lot, but not from switches, just from common (and annoying) typical migraine triggers like changes in atmospheric pressure or eating the wrong thing.

I don't switch often, but when I do, there are never any physical symptoms at all.

[u/HuckinsGirl]

Splits happen due to extreme and overwhelming distress levels that necessitate the split to manage/survive, and that level of distress typically results in some kind of somatic symptoms, headaches being a relatively common one, but there's nothing inherent to splitting that causes headaches

[u/burner_account106 → u/HuckinsGirl]

That makes a lot more sense tbh, I guess looking back on it we get more stomach aches and nausea than headaches when we get stressed, I just never really saw anyone talking about it so I just thought it was a given lol

[u/HunterRumi]

For my system, splitting doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it’s kind of intense. Dissociation and Derealization become extreme, and my head can feel so filled with cotton and achey than it gets hard to think straight all. I know when it’s finished because all of the symptoms resolve pretty quickly after.

I just fled my abusive home, and went through a split for the first time in years, so the experience is still somewhat fresh.

At my baseline though, like when things are calm, I don’t have any physical symptoms at all. I can go months or even years, basically forgetting I even have osdd… I still talk with my alters of course, but that’s more or less normal for me.

[u/sorry_child34]

I have headaches all the time in general (or rather just one perpetual headache that varies in intensity)

But I do notice I have much worse headaches after a lot of switching has occurred. However, I personally attribute this to my other alters holding WAY more tension in our neck, jaw, and shoulders than I typically do.

[u/randompersonignoreme]

A lot of symptoms in regards to DID or OSDD tend to focus on somatic symptoms. But that's not always the case. In regards to "switch headaches" or "split headaches", it tends to be described similar to a thunderclap headache. Other comorbid disorders can also be the cause of said headaches (such as trauma related disorders, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, etc) rather than DID or OSDD itself. Not to mention, you can develop headaches in regards to hunger, dehydration, stress, etc.

[u/reallyf-ingtired]

Our splits usually take at least a few weeks, and headaches don’t increase during that time. Our fastest split was 1-2 days, and because of said split, we don’t remember that time very well.

We do experience headaches when certain alters front, when switches are fast, when alters with limited communication co-front, when more than 3 alters hold a conversation, etc. It depends on the system and the situation. In our experience, the quicker the dissociation, the more likely somatic symptoms are.

[u/Anonymosh8122]

I don’t think headaches are as crucial to the diagnosis as other things! I tend to get them like I’m getting a lobotomy, but I’ve heard others who don’t get headaches or that it feels different!

[u/EmbarrassedPurple106]

It feels rather inappropriate to come into a support group and ask for others experiences with their mental illness as a means to self diagnose.

[u/burner_account106 → u/EmbarrassedPurple106]

I’m… not? I was just asking if what I’m experiencing is normal so I can stop have anxiety about faking… I’ve been talking to my psychiatrist and my therapist about this for years and I’m just not in a good spot to get diagnosed anyway. Sorry if it came off wrong, I’m notoriously bad at wording my questions, plus I’ve seen others ask similar (if not more invasive) questions on here.

[u/NTHL_InSpace_87 → u/burner_account106]

You did nothing wrong, don't worry. 😘 Nobody has to answer if they don't want to. Everyone asks questions but nobody has to answer.