Conversation of the Week: The Unpredictability of Migraine & Mental Health
The unpredictability of living with migraine can have so many effects on our lives. Something that can at times be overlooked is how this unpredictability impacts our mental health. I want to open this forum to discuss all of these mental health related topics. Does anyone want to share how the unpredictability of migraine has impacted their mental health? - Amanda W (team member)
Amanda Workman
I feel depressed and unable to plan or do things. Hello,
, I saw your comment to mysticlyon and just wanted to check in. Have you mentioned to your doctor about how you've been feeling? I ask because oftentimes when managing chronic conditions there is more focus on the physical symptoms and the mental and emotional ones can get lost or forgotten in the process. I wanted to share this article with you that one of our health leaders put together about migraine and mental health (it includes some of her tips for managing as well), https://migraine.com/living-migraine/impact-mental-health. And this article, https://migraine.com/living-migraine/chronic-migraine-mental-health, was a follow up to that first one. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your doctor or mental health professional, especially if you're feeling so depressed you're unable to plan or do things, while this is not uncommon, it might be isolating, and you are not alone. In the meantime, please know that this community is here for you and please reach out here any time. Sending you gentle hugs. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
Very negatively, and it is hard to pick yourself up out of that pit of feeling like you have let others, and yourself down.
I really know how you feel. I can't get myself to make plans with family or friends for fear of getting a migraine. This is such a normal way to feel. After enough times of being forced to cancel plans due to migraine - and/or having interactions serve as triggers that worsen our pain, or simply not having energy to connect with others due to being weakened by the condition- we understandably beg off plan-making. This is an especially hard part of life with migraine. We understand and are with you. Warmly- Holly migraine.com team
I'm a 50 year migraineur. Recently I got off some anti-depressants that seem to have affected my headaches. Now I'm going through many changes again. I find my picture is never stable; I need to be flexible and accept changes as they come.
I am also a long term migraine sufferer. I had a migraine from March of 2023 to April 2024. I was in the hospital for emergency surgery for 2 1/2 months and the doctors and nurses could not help me get relief from migraines. After a while they started ignoring me. It was awful. I am much better now with only the occasional less intense migraine. I hope every migraine suffer finds relief and peace. Mary TC That is such a scary and frustrating situation to be in -- especially when you're in the hospital and there's the expectation that they can help you. I wanted to come back to this and ask if there was anything specific you did that helped to finally break that attack. Did you try a new medication when you left the hospital? I wonder if getting back home helped your body to find stability. So glad you're doing much better now! -Melissa, team member
Can not work & rarely leave the house.
with chronic migraine, I hardly ever leave the house either. The only social life I have is via FaceTime , thank goodness for technology that gives us a way to connect these days. I wish you were able to connect with people in other ways too, though. You're definitely not alone here in finding it challenging to leave the house. -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
