When my sister sent me the above photo I
immediately asked her where she had taken it. Oddly enough, her answer was ‘In
a museum’. I immediately Googled “Viscountess Anne Conway + headache” and soon
discovered that Anne did indeed suffer from a mysterious headache for virtually
all her life. She died in 1679.
I wonder what people thought of her
headaches back then. Did they think she was a hypochondriac? A liar? A witch?
An emotionally unstable, neurotic woman in need of some fresh sea air?
Anne was actually a highly respected 17th
century philosopher, metaphysicist and intellectual whose ideas and criticisms
on Descartes and Hobbes influenced later writers.
Her debilitating chronic headaches are
mentioned in a number of sources. From what I have researched, I am unable to
say whether Anne suffered from one persistent headache or a series of
continuous attacks. It seems to me it was probably one continuous headache, but
given that most people do not even believe such a thing possible, over time I think
some physicists and historians may have eventually settled for ‘headaches’ in
the plural.
Her severe headache perplexed friends and
doctors alike, leading her to try all sorts of (dangerous) cures including
mercury and opium, albeit to no avail. In a desperate attempt to cure the
headache, Anne even travelled to France to be trepanned. No one dared proceed
with the operation and eventually her jugular arteries were opened instead – an
equally risky procedure. A renowned alchemist and healer was even invited to
Anne’s country home to try and rid her of the debilitating pain, but her
headache persisted. It continued to baffle eminent physicians and doctors for
the rest of her life.
It appears her headache started at the age of 12.
It was initially attributed to her excessive studying habits, although a number of sources claim it started following a severe illness accompanied by fever, which
left a lingering headache that continued for the rest of her life.
The headache had a clear influence on her
life and ideas:
“The way her own suffering from increasingly debilitating headaches contributed to the development of her philosophical assessment of pain as an integral part of the process of purification adds an autobiographical element to her writing that is all too often ignored in the analysis of philosophical systems.”***
Anne was not considered mad, mentally
unstable or neurotic given her constant headache and pleas for help. If only
our doctors, like those four centuries ago, believed us when we say we suffer
from a continuous headache that never goes away.
Posts
Very Interesting!!!! A sad but cool historical fact. Since we have these things, I would think historically it would have been known to happen, but I suppose most women were not important enough to document their headaches...
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have had a single intense headache every day for over a year, although I know yours has gone on for longer. I know you probably get a lot of unwanted advice on your blog, and that is not my intent, but I finally found someone with an answer for me, and wanted to share it, in case it could be helpful.
ReplyDeleteI was diagnosed by a rheumatologist with hypermobility in my joints, which means my joints extend beyond the normal range of motion during everyday activities, which lead to arthritis in my jaw, and eventually will in other joints too. But it has also created my eternal headache. When my brain senses the instability of my body (ie jaw and neck), it automatically tightens the surrounding muscles to offer support, but then has essentially locked the muscles in my jaw, head and neck, and compresses the nerves in that area, resulting in incredible pain that never goes away.
I never sensed the instability, or the muscle issue, I just felt pain that never, ever went away. But, just a few weeks ago, I found a gifted physical therapist who could not only explain what happened to me, but he has been able to address my pain. Best of luck finding answers for yours.
Susie, are you out there? I've had a headache I work up with on November 11, 2006. It's been accompanied by a feeling of being off balance. I've also been told I have hypermobility in joints, but no one has ever "done anything" about that, and I have found no one who can address the constant head/neck/jaw pain. How are things going with you?
Deletevery interesting. I've wondered several times if this was more of a modern problem, caused by our electricity, pollution, etc. I suppose this answers that question. I do wonder how rare it was back then?
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right - I have also looked into a number of possible modern causes such as wifi / mobile phones etc. A while ago I watched a documentary about some people who are highly sensitive to wifi and cannot live in areas with it - can you imagine that nowadays! They had to live in entirely secluded areas in the countryside and plaster their houses with what looked like tin foil to prevent the wifi 'waves' from penetrating into their houses...
ReplyDeleteNearly all of the letters between the many specialists I've seen over the last 5.5 years refer to me "suffering from headaches". I tell them how much it irritates me that they write this after my long detailed explanation of how it is one constant headache that never goes away, not just from a personal perspective as it doesnt reflect the hardship of living without even a brief reprieve, but more importantly from a perspective of ever getting a diagnosis as its surely a major differential between this and other types of headaches. I have to tell each new specialist to ignore the letters and explain to them the real situation. But then they do the same in their letters, so yes, even years of medical documents can be misleading if the doctors keep interpreting what they expect to be the case rather than what is actually happening.
ReplyDeleteYES! And it's funny how often, after I explain my situation, the health provider will ask: "So do you have a headache now?"
DeleteAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH
PermanentHeadache, how are you? Anything new? I woke up with a headache and a weird off-balance feeling on the morning of November 11, 2006. In pain ever since. It varies a bit, but there is No Break. Ever. Nothing touches it, except chiropractic sometimes seems to help (other times I think it's coincidence if it gets a little better, or it just continues at the same level). I went to Mayo Clinic and they "diagnosed" something called "Chronic Subjective Dizziness" and put me on anti-depressants. Apparently they think it's a neurotransmitter problem. But their meds (Four so far, plus St. John's wort) haven't helped. Recently I developed a weird upper abdominal "clenching" pain that coincided with an increase in a head pain, googling on that sent me to your blog... (No H. Pylori, according to a test a while back, and I'm tired of repeating test because somebody is hoping something new will show up.) Nobody seems to understand what it's like to have CONSTANT pain... Often, right after I explain to a health care provider that I have had a 24/7 headache for 6 years, they then ask, "So do you have it now?" WHAT PART OF 24/7 DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? Shees. And they run whatever little tests they're fond of within their area of expertise, and tell me everything is normal... OK. I'm done venting. I'll subscribe to your blog by email... email me if you want...
ReplyDeleteI too have this off-balance feeling. I often have to sit while taking a walk so as not to fall down. Have this persistent headache for 6 years now and it is still going strong.
DeleteWendy, just went to see the kinesiologist again today who did some work on my jaw... looking again at teeth grinding...
ReplyDeleteYou're the first person who has said to have had a weird off-balance feeling at the beginning, as that's what I had too. It happened as I was walking down the street and I remember I felt like lying in the middle of the road and not getting up again..
Do you have any other symptoms or is it quite simply just the headache? I have no other symptoms - no light sensitivity, no drooping eyelid, nothing which could possibly give some sort of a clue as to what it could be.
Can I also ask - does it hurt more when you lie down?
Mine does, which puzzles me even more... Where is the pain exactly? Bilateral or one sided?
I know you asked Wendy but I thought I might just write my experience. I have had this off-balance feeling continuously and yes the it does hurt when I lie down. In fact movement actually helps, though very slightly. My pain is bilateral and not one-sided.
DeleteThe movement actually helps, though very slightly. My pain is bilateral and not one-sided.The holistic treatment method is also beneficial in curing Headache Sydney cbd.Hence,have patience and fix your appointment with any doc specialized in holistic treatment method right now.
ReplyDelete