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Aura migraine

When I get an aura migraine out of the blue & have several in short amount of time, I feel like I’ve had a set back & I feel depressed & very low. My anxiety & fear of getting another migraine are so intense, as time goes by & I don’t get one fir a while my confidence builds & my anxiety & fear subsides. But when I get them I fall again. Anyone else like this & what helps you cope? Thanks

  1. Hi @Loucie147,
    While you wait for feedback from the community, I thought you might find Holly's article about the migraine cycle helpful, https://migraine.com/living-migraine/why-migraines-cause-more-migraines. You can also find some other conversation around this topic on this list of articles: https://migraine.com/living-migraine/why-migraines-cause-more-migraines. I hope there are some helpful things there for you. - Warmly, Donna (team member)

    1. hi there, I know exactly what you mean. I've felt similarly with migraines and other medical issues that bring with them a lot of anxiety and apprehension. It's hard to not see it as a setback when we're suddenly facing all the pain and anxiety again, and health takes a place in the front of our mind, affecting our daily functioning, and likely our self-perception. I don't have a magic solution, only a few ideas that help mitigate things slightly. One thing I've learned about myself is that my health anxiety can impact my life just as negatively as scary health events, so addressing the anxiety head on was important. I do this at the start of an event, for example seeing an aura and telling myself something like, "I accept that this is happening" allows me to lean in to what's going on and focus on caring for my needs instead of agonizing over the fact that it's happening or that it will get worse. It means telling myself, "I've done this before and felt like I would never get back to okay, but across the years I have felt okay, so I'll likely get back to a place that feels okay again." I also address my anxiety between events when it's suddenly acute by telling myself, "even if I can't guarantee that nothing will ever happen again, there's no reason to assume something will go wrong RIGHT NOW, so let me continue my day as usual." Finding my specific fears and learning to respond to them very directly and address my anxiety head on has not gotten rid of my anxiety, but has provided me with a way to deal with it better. Hope this helps!

      1. This was such an amazing read! I'm a sucker for longform journalism like this, especially when it's health-related. Thanks for sharing ... maybe it will open a door to some emotional healing for people here on the site. -Melissa, migraine.com team

      2. Thanks for taking the time to read something I recommended. One of the hardest concepts for me is "acceptance" and anything that helps with that is welcome in my book. So glad it resonates with you. I do love articles such as this as well. They inspire me to continue the fight. Warmest of thoughts your way ~ Rebecca

    2. I get those terrible feelings too. I wish I could get to that point of acceptance. My head/thinking can, but my gut feelings can't. When I go for a time with no symptoms I feel as if it's over and I am getting better. When things come back it feels so unpredictable and scares me to be honest. My migraines aren't sharply delineated either. When I get something it could continue for months. I never know how long. I manage and soldier on and keep up with routines and being as cheerful as possible though. But deep down it feels like constantly being under attack from something unseen.

      1. Hi @silver, it does feel like an attack, and I completely understand your "gut". Please know that we're here to share support on those days that are hard. - Warmly, Donna (team member)

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