Anxiety/Paranoia
Hi. I've had migraines for a good 10 years now. I've often had anxiety as part of my attacks. Usually it's manageable, and I'm able to go on with my day after a few minutes or hours. Recently, I've noticed that I can also get very paranoid, as well. I spent a few hours last week convinced that my new roommate was secretly filming me. The paranoia passed along with my aura, and I haven't had anything like that since, but it still kind of scared me. I have been going through a lot of stressful changes recently (moving to a new state, starting graduate school, etc) and am hoping that this was just a particularly bad anxiety attack. I was wondering if anyone else has had similar episodes?
Hi CoffeeCat,
I'm sorry you've had to go through this. I can tell you anxiety can be part of a migraine attack in addition to being a comorbid condition. This means migraine and anxiety may occur at the same time, but are not caused by one another. It seems many people with migraine experience depression and anxiety, including me! You may find this information helpful; https://migraine.com/blog/migraine-comorbidities-anxiety/.
There are techniques that can be helpful in helping manage anxiety; counseling, meditation, yoga, mindful relaxation. This article has that information; https://migraine.com/blog/relaxation-mindfulness-for-migraine-patients-living-with-depression-anxiety/.
In 2006 a small study concluded that phobias may be more common in people with chronic migraine. Here is that information; https://migraine.com/migraine-and-mental-health/specific-phobia/.
Most importantly if you've not discussed this with your doctor, please do so. Any time we notice a change in our symptoms or migraine patterns it is important to check in with the doctor.
I hope this helps - please keep us posted on how you are feeling.
Nancy
Thank you, Nancy. I've felt a lot better the last few weeks. Just knowing that there is someone out there to talk to helps. And I definitely plan to talk to my doctor the next time I see them. 😀
Hi CoffeeCat,
By the way, I wanted to tell you I love your screen name - very clever!
It is SO important to know and connect with people who understand how difficult it is to live with migraine. Validation, in my opinion, is helpful beyond measure.
Let us know how you make out at the doctor!
Nancy
