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Mental Health HomepageConditions LibraryConditions CategoryConditions CategoryThe Surprising Link Between Migraines and Mental Health
Table of Contents:OverviewMigraines’ Impact on Mental HealthCo-treating
DepressionRead Time: 3 Minutes
Published On: November 13, 2019
Reviewed On: November 13, 2019
Updated On: November 3, 2023
OverviewIf you’re afflicted with migraines, you know firsthand the misery they bring: the disconcerting auras, the pounding pain, the nausea. Their end may bring you relief — finally, you can do something as simple as watching television without wanting to scream —but their impact lingers.At least there’s some comfort in knowing you’re not alone. In the United States, 11.7 percent of the population suffers at least one migraine per year, according to theAmerican Academy of Neurology. Of those with migraines, approximately one-third experience three or more events per month, and about half report “severe impairment” during these episodes.
Overview
If you’re afflicted with migraines, you know firsthand the misery they bring: the disconcerting auras, the pounding pain, the nausea. Their end may bring you relief — finally, you can do something as simple as watching television without wanting to scream —but their impact lingers.
At least there’s some comfort in knowing you’re not alone. In the United States, 11.7 percent of the population suffers at least one migraine per year, according to theAmerican Academy of Neurology. Of those with migraines, approximately one-third experience three or more events per month, and about half report “severe impairment” during these episodes.
Migraines’ Impact on Mental Health
In fact, studies show thatmigraines dramatically impact quality of life, so it makes sense that migraines manifest in your mental health. Even occasionally handling these painful incidents can cause you to drag for days; waking each morning wondering if today will be the day you experience your next migraine takes a serious toll. Spending so much time either focusing on your migraines ordealingwith your migraines can spark anxiety or depression.
Clinical explanations
Co-treatingIf you suffer from both migraines and mental health issues, it’s important to talk to your doctor about all of your symptoms, because there are plenty of medications that can help both.Beta blockers, for instance, can affect depression, and topiramate, a common migraine drug, can also help people suffering from bipolar disorder.While you should never try to treat migraines without asking for your doctor’s guidance, good lifestyle habits can improve your headachesandyour mental health — especially since stress is one of the most common migraine triggers. Reducing your stress, in turn, reduces the frequency of your headaches.Lifestyle changesTake meditation:Researchers have foundthat migraine sufferers have less gray matter in their brain; less gray matter can cause migraines to happen more often and for longer. But meditating —even briefly — can increase your gray matter. While meditation might not be a cure-all, it certainly can help with your migraines.Focusing on stress reduction helps too. Eating healthy, exercising, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and practicingself-carekeep those stress levels down. So if stress is a trigger for your migraines, you’re likely to experience fewer episodes. In addition, all that stress reduction is massively helpful for reducing your anxiety and depression, too.But it’s not a magic bullet. If you’re dealing with both mental illness and migraines, talk to a therapist in addition to your doctor. Not only can you get the medicine you need to succeed, you can learn vital strategies to reduce the impact of your anxiety or depression. Taking the time to learn how to care for yourself is essential: Your quality of life hangs in the balance.
Co-treating
If you suffer from both migraines and mental health issues, it’s important to talk to your doctor about all of your symptoms, because there are plenty of medications that can help both.Beta blockers, for instance, can affect depression, and topiramate, a common migraine drug, can also help people suffering from bipolar disorder.
While you should never try to treat migraines without asking for your doctor’s guidance, good lifestyle habits can improve your headachesandyour mental health — especially since stress is one of the most common migraine triggers. Reducing your stress, in turn, reduces the frequency of your headaches.
Lifestyle changes
Take meditation:Researchers have foundthat migraine sufferers have less gray matter in their brain; less gray matter can cause migraines to happen more often and for longer. But meditating —even briefly — can increase your gray matter. While meditation might not be a cure-all, it certainly can help with your migraines.
Focusing on stress reduction helps too. Eating healthy, exercising, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and practicingself-carekeep those stress levels down. So if stress is a trigger for your migraines, you’re likely to experience fewer episodes. In addition, all that stress reduction is massively helpful for reducing your anxiety and depression, too.
But it’s not a magic bullet. If you’re dealing with both mental illness and migraines, talk to a therapist in addition to your doctor. Not only can you get the medicine you need to succeed, you can learn vital strategies to reduce the impact of your anxiety or depression. Taking the time to learn how to care for yourself is essential: Your quality of life hangs in the balance.
Jamie WiebeJamie Wiebe is a freelance writer based in Denver, Colorado. She writes about mental health, real estate, interior design, and sociology.
Jamie Wiebe is a freelance writer based in Denver, Colorado. She writes about mental health, real estate, interior design, and sociology.
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