Lifestyle and wellness creator Beverly Coleman knows the mental toll of migraine firsthand. Her migraine attacks began in 2017 and quickly became a persistent part of her daily life. Episodes of intense pain came with sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and exhaustion that could last for days.
"Migraine is extremely frustrating," she says. "Often, I have to say no or stop doing things I want to do. It can get to where I don't care about much anymore. I hate feeling like that, but some days, it does get that bad."
Migraine is one of the most common disorders in the world, affecting about 39 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide. It's a complex neurological disease that causes not only crippling physical symptoms, but also emotional strain, frustration, anxiety, and isolation.
Studies show that people living with migraine have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions compared with the general population. Understanding the impact of migraine on your life can help you put context to your feelings and find tools to help.
An Invisible Condition
Because migraine doesn't come with symptoms others can see, they may assume what you're going through is "just a headache." But migraine attacks can involve far more than head pain.
Symptoms may include nausea, dizziness, vision disturbances, changes in your mental skills, and extreme sensitivity to light or sound. Attacks may unfold over several phases and can last anywhere from hours to days.
"Migraine is so much more than a headache – it's a full-body neurological experience," says Margot Andersen, MSW, a National Headache Foundation board member. She's lived with migraine for more than 50 years.
"A lot of stigma comes from people who think, 'Oh, I've had headaches. I got over them in a few hours. What's wrong with you?'"
This judgment can make you more likely to keep your symptoms private and "push through," even when your body tells you to stop.
Unpredictable Attacks and Anxiety
Migraine attacks can be triggered by things like sounds, smells, or weather events. But knowing your triggers doesn't guarantee you can completely avoid them. And even if you do, migraine may come on for reasons you can't pinpoint.
"I work hard to avoid my triggers. Still, there are many days where I feel a migraine attack coming and have to pause everything I'm doing," says Coleman.
This uncertainty can create a constant sense of anxiety. Andersen says this is "anticipatory anxiety," the constant worry that an attack might disrupt your schedule and you'll have to bow out of a planned event.
"You have to explain yourself all the time," she says. "That's effortful. And it impacts your sense of self-esteem."
It can also impact your sense of self. Before chronic migraine entered her life, Coleman was an active athlete, running track in college and powerlifting competitively. But she soon learned intense exercise can lead to migraine symptoms. As a result, she had to modify her workouts, staying away from high-intensity exercise and heavy weights.
"Competing athletically has been a really big part of my identity, so it's a real mental hurdle," she says. "Every day, I really want to go in there and just go all out, but I can't. That's definitely an adjustment I still struggle with."
Practical Tips for Managing Mental Health
Learning mental health strategies can help you feel more in control of your condition and your response to symptoms.
Shift your narrative
Andersen says many people blame themselves when their treatments don't work, but she offers another perspective.
"People feel like they have failed the medicines, when in reality the medicines have failed them," she says.
This kind of reframing helps in other scenarios, too. When others downplay or dismiss your symptoms, for example, you can start to internalize doubts that what you're going through is real. This can lead to what she calls "ANTS," or automatic negative thoughts.
A common example of an ANT is "something is wrong with me,'" says Andersen. "And once that little ant starts running around your head, it really does attach to your sense of self-worth and self-esteem. You start to see yourself as a victim of your illness."
Instead, remind yourself that you're living with a very real neurological disorder that deserves treatment and care. Learning to recognize and challenge those thoughts can help protect your mental well-being.
Have a migraine plan
Planning ahead is another helpful way to reduce anxiety about unpredictable attacks. Andersen recommends creating a personalized "migraine plan" that outlines what to do when symptoms begin.
This plan may include medications, rest strategies, and environmental adjustments like moving to a dark, quiet room. "Think: What is step one, step two, step three? Which medications are you taking in which order?" she says.
Post the plan somewhere like your bathroom mirror so it's easier to follow when symptoms make it difficult for you to think clearly.
"I always have a game plan," says Coleman. Her list of go-to tools when she feels an attack coming on are caffeinated drinks, ice or a menthol rub to her neck, and a dark room to lie down in with meditative music on.
"Does it always work? No," she says. "But it's so helpful to have options ready."
Practice prevention
One of Coleman's favorite activities is attending live concerts, which are full of lights and sounds that could potentially cause an attack. But instead of cutting them out of her life completely, she adopted preventive strategies.
"I wear migraine glasses or shades, and I wear earplugs, so that I won't be overstimulated with all the lights and the noises," she says.
Andersen also encourages practicing habits that support physical and emotional health overall to reduce stress and give yourself a head start if migraine strikes. These tools may include mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.
Adopt an advocacy and community mindset
In-person and online conversations can not only help shift public perception of migraine, they can connect you to other people who know what it's like to live with the condition.
"When people openly discuss their experiences with migraine, it helps others understand the disease involves far more than head pain," says Andersen. "It can affect mental health, careers, relationships, and your sense of control over your life."
Coleman has been a content creator for nine years but says opening up about her migraine experience took time. Once she shared her story, she began connecting with others, sharing advice, and gaining support.
"I struggle sometimes with being vulnerable online, but I have such a good platform for educating others," she says. "And this is the good part about sometimes being vulnerable or just sharing small things about yourself: You never know who's watching. You can help someone else."
