If you suffer from migraine headaches, you likely notice they can be more than just a pain in the head. Migraine headaches can often cause dizziness and nausea, to name just a couple of symptoms. But did you know that migraine headaches can also have a significant negative impact on your mental health due to their frequency, unpredictability and often debilitating pain?
While many people may not think a headache could harm your mental health, that unfortunately couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether it’s the anxiety over diminished work or school performance or the sadness and depression from having to exclude yourself from social activities, the adverse effects of migraine headaches can spill over into your daily life and do significant damage to your mental health.
Here are just a few ways migraine headaches can harm your mental health and what you can do about it.
Migraines and Mental Health: The Dangers
Anxiety
Migraine headaches are notorious for causing anxiety, as the migraine sufferer becomes anxious and stressed about when to expect their next migraine attack. The fear of the pain and disruption migraine headaches could cause to their daily life can cause this anxiety, as can the worry that “something else” could be wrong or causing their migraine headache attacks.
Depression
As with most people, migraine sufferers may find that their pain affects their mood in a negative way. Frequent migraine headaches can cause feelings of frustration, sadness and hopelessness if the migraine headaches can’t be treated satisfactorily.
Furthermore, the restrictions migraine sufferers face when unable to enjoy daily activities can also take a toll on their mental health.
Reduced Quality of Life
When you suffer from migraine headaches, it can take a toll on your quality of life because frequent migraines can interfere with your work, family and social life. This can lead to feelings of isolation, which can harm your mental health.
Sleep Disruptions
Migraines can occur at any time of the day and can last long enough to disrupt your sleep. This leads to cognitive impairment during the day. Lack of sleep can also contribute to or worsen mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive impairment is a serious condition that can occur when you are sleep-deprived from sleep disturbances caused by migraine headaches. Cognitive impairment can include difficulties with memory, concentration, and the ability to operate machinery or be productive during the day. Cognitive impairment can have a negative effect on your self-esteem, as your grades and work may suffer as a result.
Side Effects From Medications
When you take certain medications, it is common to have side effects that could negatively affect your mental health. Some medications could potentially cause mood swings, dizziness, emotional disturbances or weight gain.
Social Impact
As we mentioned before, migraine headaches can negatively affect your personal life, especially when it comes to social engagements. Migraine headaches can cause you to miss important events and socialization opportunities. This can cause disruptions in personal relationships. Worse yet, those canceled plans and the lack of social contact can increase your isolation and loneliness.
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
While some coping mechanisms for migraine headaches can be extremely useful, some are unhealthy and can be detrimental to your health. These harmful coping mechanisms can include everything from overuse or abuse of pain medications to excessive caffeine consumption and other behaviors that, over time, can harm your mental health.
Migraines And Mental Health: The Solution
If you’re tired of your mental health paying the price for your frequent migraine headaches, don’t despair. Dr. Kelley Mingus can help. At Bend Headache Center, we offer effective solutions to your migraine headaches that will help alleviate the mental health pressures and side effects your migraine headaches may be causing you.
If you do suffer from migraine headaches, it is essential that you seek medical attention for these often debilitating attacks. This can help you better manage your migraine headaches, as well as their negative impact on your mental health.
If you are interested in learning more about solutions for your migraine headaches, as well as how you can improve your mental health and well-being through the treatment of your migraine headaches, please contact Dr. Mingus at Bend Headache Center today.
