Migraines Can Be a Genetic Neurological Disorder
They’re not always simple headaches.
“This migraine is my fault.”
“The more medicine that I take (for my migraine), the more control I will have (over my migraine).”
If the above statements sound like you, don't worry. It’s okay to have no idea why you are exhausted. You are not alone.
As a psychologist and a counselor, I believe that surviving the day with a migraine is a pretty serious accomplishment.
Defining Migraines
Migraines are one of the most common neurological disorders with functional (and sometimes) structural changes that occur inside the brain.
A migraine can be considered a headache that can cause severe pulsing sensation and throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head.
It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, smell, touch, and even a tingling or burning sensation in other parts of the body.
Migraine attacks can last for hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities.
It affects children and teenagers as well as adults.
Causes of Migraines
Factors that can cause migraines can vary from person to person. Here are some factors that can trigger a migraine:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Loud noises
- Caffeine or caffeine withdrawal
- Bright or flashing lights
- Medicines
- Skipped meals
- Hormonal changes
- Sudden changes in environment or weather
- Strong smells
- Too much or not enough sleep
The Four Stages of Migraine
Migraines have four distinct stages. Not everyone who has migraines goes through the same level, intensity, or number of stages.
A person with a migraine might experience:
1. Prodrome
In this stage, you might notice subtle changes that warn of an upcoming migraine, one or two days before it actually occurs. These subtle changes include:
- Neck stiffness
- Urination
- Frequent yawning
- Constipation
- Mood changes
2. Aura
As mentioned before, migraines can vary from person to person. The aura stage might occur before or during migraines (depending on the person).
Auras can sometimes reverse occurrences in the nervous system. These reversible occurrences include:
- Difficulty speaking
- Numbness or weakness in the face
- Weakness of one side of the body
- Visual phenomena (such as seeing bright spots or flashes of light or seeing various shapes)
- Hearing noises or music
3. Headache
In this stage, pain arrives and it can last anywhere from a few hours to about three days. During this period, people can experience:
- A throbbing pain (that ranges from mild to debilitating)
- Vomiting
- Anxiety
- Sensitivity to light and sounds
4. Post-drome
This final stage begins when the pain stops and the symptoms can last for days. These include:
- Exhaustion
- Dizziness
- Neck Stiffness
The Neurobiology of a Migraine
According to neurobiological research, there are two open issues identified as triggers to a migraine, through episodic headaches. They are:
- The activation of the trigeminovascular system (TGVS)
- The mechanisms associated with releasing pain-generating vasoactive peptides after the activation of TGVS.
The Connection Between Migraines and Mental Health
Several studies have identified stress as a major trigger of migraine attacks. For example, Dr. Lori Kelman’s study suggests that stress is the most prevalent trigger of migraine attacks, as almost 80% of their participants reported a stressful event before their episode.
A migraine typically starts with a trigger (such as incoming sensory information) that wouldn’t bother most people, like opening the door to a bright, sunny day or walking through the intense smell of roasted coffee beans.
During a migraine, these stimuli feel like an all-out assault.
4 Ways To Manage a Migraine
Migraine can be controlled and managed — it just takes some practice.
1. Sleep
Good quality and sufficient quantity of sleep are vital for maintaining good mental health. Having a sleep routine is really important for managing and mediating potential migraine triggers.
2. Caffeine
Avoiding caffeine will lessen any anxiety symptoms that you have, as too much caffeine can trigger migraines.
3. Relax
If you are feeling exhausted and experiencing pain, try to rest in a dark, calm room with your eyes closed. You can massage the shoulders or neck to help alleviate tension, and apply heat or cold packs to the forehead, eyes, or neck.
4. Medication
Migraines are often undiagnosed and untreated.
If you regularly have signs and symptoms of migraine, try to keep a record of your attacks and how you treated them. Then, you make an appointment with your physician and take medical advice.
6 Psychological Therapies for Managing Migraine
I’m a psychologist and a counselor, and I know that therapy can also play an important role when controlling and managing the emotional toll of migraines.
For people who have frequent chronic or episodic migraines, it is very hard to accept the reality of living. Many behavioral therapies play a role in managing migraine pain. They include:
1. Mindfulness
Mindfulness enables the self to obtain further knowledge about themselves and their standing in the world.
2. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can reportedly show promise for migraine relief.
3. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a person learns to control their responses to pain.
4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) aims to identify the unhelpful thought patterns found in people.
It can provide methods to address the migraine, its symptoms, and concurrent issues (especially if the migraine spirals into depression or anxiety).
5. Biofeedback
Biofeedback helps a person change their reactions to stress through measurements in breathing, brain waves, heart rate, sweat gland activity, body temperature, and muscle contraction.
A person can make adjustments by recognizing how the body responds to stress and learn how to minimize some of the negative consequences.
6. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) reduces migraine frequency as it involves tensing then relaxing each muscle group sequentially.
Final Takeaways
Migraines are an unseen chronic condition and a very common neurological disorder. Thus, living with an invisible illness can feel isolating. You may always feel anxious as to when an attack will come next, and then worry about how you will manage it.
I know that people who manage chronic migraines may experience guilt, shame, embarrassment, resentment, frustration, and even anxiety and depression.
There are also many causes of migraines too, like bright lights, noise, ongoing stress and many more. As mentioned earlier, there are also four stages of migraines and they are prodrome, aura, headache, and post-drome, and not everyone experiences in the same order and intensity.
It can be very hard to experience these range of emotions even though they are normal responses to pain and discomfort. Yet, this can be reduced by sleep, reduced caffeine intake, relaxation, and medication. It can also require a multitude of different therapies too.
Make sure that you are practicing self-kindness and mindfulness, lessening your social pressures, and identifying stringent patterns.
Healing takes a lot of courage — and we all have courage. Your unseen illness does not define you, but your strength and courage do. Be gentle with yourself. You are doing the best you can.
As I always say: I believe in you — and you can believe in yourself too.
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