Diagnosis of Addiction, Substance Use, and Headache

A large proportion of patients who visit headache specialists suffer from chronic headache disorders, many of which are refractory to conventional therapy. In addition to the epidemic of common analgesic overuse, many patients medicate themselves with controlled substances, such as opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and other sedative hypnotics. Some of these medications have been prescribed by practitioners for either a pain-related or a comorbid condition, while some medications have been obtained illegally, without the knowledge of their doctors.