MIGRAINE AND MENTAL HEALTH
If you are a person living with migraine AND a mental health condition, you are not alone.
Migraine and chronic daily headaches are common in people who suffer from anxiety disorders. It’s estimated that 60% of people with migraine also have anxiety and 40% have some level of depression. The more migraine days you have, the higher your risk of developing anxiety and/or depression.
Migraine attacks can start before mental health issues emerge. If you have been diagnosed with migraine, implementing a pro-active mental health management plan can be a good idea. When you live with a chronic disease like migraine, which is affects your life significantly, it’s logical that you’re going to at least feel sad or down about how it affects your life, so paying attention to your mental health and recognising mental health symptoms is important. Some signs of anxiety and depression are listed in the box below.
Common symptoms of anxiety, like excessive worry, fear and irritability, can interplay with migraine symptoms. We worry about when the next attack will come, what will trigger it, and feel helpless and frustrated about the unpredictability of migraine and how it is affecting our lives. Not knowing when the next attack is coming, can cause a great deal of migraine anxiety.
People with both an anxiety disorder and migraine have an increased likelihood of experiencing major depression. People with migraine are about five times more likely to develop depression than someone without migraine.
Many other mental health conditions affect those living with migraine more than the rest of the population. Bipolar disorder, panic attacks, substance abuse disorders, and phobias have all been highly correlated with migraine – that is, people have been found to have both conditions, but there is no evidence to prove one causes the other. Recent research also suggests that people with migraine are more likely to have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the general population.
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SIGNS OF ANXIETY
Physical: panic attacks, hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, feeling tense, wound up and edgy
Psychological: excessive fear, worry, catastrophising (thinking things are worse than they are), or obsessive thinking
Behavioural: avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life
ANXIETY FIRST AID
Slow your breathing
Stay in the present by grounding yourself – use one of your five senses (e.g. feel the grass beneath your seat, feel your back against the chair, fix your eyes on one thing in front of you)
Challenge your self-talk – it’s trying to tell you that there’s danger so try to engage your rational mind to come up with a more helpful thought
Self-compassion – be kind to yourself. You are not a failure and you are not weak. You have anxiety and it can be treated.
SIGNS OF DEPRESSION
You may be depressed if, for more than two weeks, you’ve felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or have lost interest or pleasure in usual activities, and have also experienced several of the signs and symptoms across at least three of the categories below. It’s important to remember that we all experience some of these symptoms from time to time, and it may not necessarily mean you’re depressed. Equally, not everyone who is experiencing depression will have all of these symptoms.
Behaviour: not going out anymore, not getting things done at work/school, withdrawing from close family and friends, relying on alcohol and sedatives, not doing usual enjoyable activities, unable to concentrate
Feelings: overwhelmed, guilty, irritable, frustrated, lacking in confidence, unhappy, indecisive, disappointed, miserable, sad
Thoughts: ‘I’m a failure’, ‘It’s my fault’, ‘Nothing good ever happens to me’, ‘I’m worthless’, ‘Life’s not worth living’, ‘People would be better off without me’
Physical: tired all the time, sick and run down, headaches and muscle pains, churning gut, sleep problems, loss or change of appetite, significant weight loss or gain
DEPRESSION FIRST AID
re-engage in an activity that you used to get pleasure from
talk to a trusted friend
increase nutrition and/or exercise
see your GP
IF YOU NEED HELP CONTACT:
Free call or text 1737 any time.
Depression helpline – 0800 111 757
Healthline – 0800 611 116 – to get help from a registered nurse 24/7.
Lifeline – 0800 543 354
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Mental health crisis services can be accessed by calling the phone number relevant to where you live
RESOURCES:
Depression.org.nz – Free text number 4202
This website helps New Zealanders recognise and understand depression and anxiety. This website is part of a national public health programme, the National Depression Initiative. It includes The Journal – an online self-help programme.
Like Minds, Like Mine is a national anti-stigma campaign. The aim of this programme is to increase social inclusion and to reduce stigma and discrimination towards people with experience of mental illness.