Depressed about migraine pain? Study says you’re not alone
Something smells different in my office. I look around and don't notice any changes. There is a tinge of pain in the back of my neck and I know what's coming. Migraine pain affects millions of women worldwide and none of them like that first tinge of pain that signals a full-blown pain attack is about to start. Some women wake up with migraines, while others, like me, develop them as a reaction to stress. One thing all migraine sufferers have in common is that feeling of depression, sadness and hopelessness that comes with a pain you cannot control or understand. Now, researchers have suddenly realized what we already know -- migraines cause depression.
It doesn't take a genius to understand the link between migraines and depression. Researchers studied more than 35,000 patients and found that about 6,400 suffered migraines or had a history of migraines. The patients were followed for 14 years and by the end of that time, more than 50 percent suffered from depression. It didn't matter if the women suffered from migraines with aura or migraines without aura, the end results were the same -- depression.
Suffering from migraine pain is depressing, but there is help. Migraines typically start early in life, but some women don't suffer their first until pregnancy. My first migraine happened just six weeks into my first pregnancy. I was sitting in a room stressed about choosing the right name for my baby. I felt this tightness and pain in the back of my neck and from there it ballooned into a pain like I've never felt. My brand of migraine is referred to as a mixed-tension migraine, but the name doesn't matter when I'm writhing in pain.
Learn your trigger to prevent migraine pain. Learning your migraine trigger is the best means of preventing a migraine. Triggers may include consuming alcohol, skipping meals or smoking. Foods can also cause migraines with some of the common offenders being chocolate, dairy, nuts and peanut butter. My trigger is stress, but how can a small business owner and mother of four stop stress from happening at least once in a while? I try to let the small stuff slide and focus on the most important lessons for my children. This way I reduce the tension I feel daily. I haven't avoided all migraines, but I've cut down how many I suffer from quite a bit.
Seek medical help for a definitive diagnosis. Many women suffer from extremely painful headaches, which they refer to as migraines, but they've never seen a medical professional for an official diagnosis. There are serious medical conditions like food allergies and conditions that affect the brain. I received a CAT scan after having my first and the scan was all clear. All women should seek medical attention and diagnosis if they suffer from recurring headaches or depression.
References
- https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/link-between-migraine-depression-anxiety/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine/link-between-chronic-migraine-and-depression
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