The Trauma of Migraine

By Kerrie Smyres

1 min read

Last updated: November 2021

Could the lingering fear I feel about my health be a result of the havoc migraine has wrought on my life? In this video, I explore the idea of migraine as a trauma, "little t" and "big T" trauma, and how changing the way I think of my experience with migraine has helped me better cope with it.

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mrs-doyle Member
Thank you for speaking to this! Significant health experiences can impact us so many ways and medical trauma isn’t really discussed much. It’s not a contest in suffering and I’ve experienced dismissing my own turmoil and having it dismissed because it’s not [condition xyz with lots of publicity on its horrors]. There’s a cultural tendency to bypass the hard feels in life, to not be a downer and just think happy to be happy (which is a huge discussion in itself), so this is really refreshing to hear someone speak their truth of the hard feels of fear and trepidation and the wounds that get created in navigating living with migraine. Thank you for the dose of validation!
1. Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
 Hi <inline-mention username="mrs-doyle" user-id="3838762"/>, Thank you for your kind words. Kerrie hits the nail on the head, as she usually does!! How goes it today? Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Advocate/Moderator
kateymac Member
Kerrie - Thanks for discussing this. I clearly recall the first weeks and months of this 20 year migraine disability. Alone in a dark room, in searing pain; it was terrifying to watch my life being pulled and pulled and pulled away from me. To this day I can feel the horror when I’m triggered by reminders of those early days. I have many symptoms of post traumatic stress from that time, and from the chronic migraine that has continued. I hope to describe it more, but for tonight I’ll just heartily agree that there are many ways in which migraine is traumatizing. Current migraines are making it too difficult to organize my thoughts. I’ve wanted to write since you posted this topic. I may decide to send in a paragraph now and then, as able; because I have many thoughts on the matter but can’t focus long enough to send them in one reply. It’s the first time I’ve seen it mentioned in print or public discussion. I’m so glad you bring it up. Kate 🌷

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