The relationship of migraine and other mental health issues is a complicated one. It involves genetic, hormonal, environmental and lifestyle factors. It is for this reason that treatment options for migraine is more diverse than it was years ago. It takes into account all these other factors, like diet, exercise, biofeedback and other therapies that have been shown to improve long term outcomes.
The days of only going into the medicine cabinet for an array of migraine medications are over.
The Relationship of Migraine and Mental Health
Migraine episodes whether episodic or chronic affects our overall stress levels that over time can create a vicious cycle of downward spiraling sense of doom. One creates the other. Thus bonding them intimately together, ultimately creating a broader spectrum of conditions, because stress or anxiety is connected to so many other common mental health issues. ADD, ADHD, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and bipolar disorder all come to mind.
The intimate link between migraine and mental health in general is definitely related. The management of one of them often means addressing them both.
A small study of 6,000 adults reports that those who suffer from migraine are more than 2 times likely to experience other mental health concerns than those without migraine.
Anxiety and Depression Link with Migraine
Anxiety and depression by themselves are closely connected. But, both conditions are compounded as the frequency of migraine episodes increase.
A study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, found that people with chronic migraine (having 15 or more episodes a month), are twice as likely to have anxiety and depression than those who experience less frequent episodes of migraine.
Those who suffer from migraine have shown to be at higher risk for anxiety. According to a 2017 study, comparing people with and without migraine. Those with migraine had a 25 times greater likelihood of feeling more anxious and nervous on a daily basis than those individuals who didn’t have migraine.
Also, from the experts at the American Migraine Foundation, found that migraine sufferers had a 5 times higher risk of developing depression than those without migraine.
PTSD and Bipolar Disorder Link with Migraine
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), may have a greater risk of migraine. Evidence also shows an increased risk with persistent post-traumatic headache (PPTH). A type of headache similar yet clinically different from migraine. A person with PPTH carries an increased risk of other mental health conditions when compared to individuals with migraine.
The relationship of those with bipolar and migraine is common. As seen in meta-analysis of studies examining the link of bipolar and migraine, showed that approximately one third of people with bipolar I and one half of people with bipolar II do experience migraine.
Causation and Effect
The relationship seems to be bidirectional in terms of mental health conditions and migraine episodes. Attempts to answer the question of cause and affect or which affects the other and in what order is a complicated one.
There has been studies in families with twins and within siblings that suggest that migraine and mental health concerns do form together.
In a 2021 sibling study reports people having siblings with migraine had a 40% higher risk for developing depression than those who didn’t have affected siblings, regardless if they themselves didn’t have migraine.
Also, those with siblings experiencing depression had a 45% higher risk for developing migraine.
The findings suggest that an underlying cause of genetics and environment could be at the root of migraine and depression relationship.
Studies suggest that depression could be a predictor of a slow progression of episodic to chronic migraine in certain individuals. That separate treatments of migraine doesn’t translate into improvements in depression or anxiety.
The role that hormones play in migraine in females is common along with the link of anxiety and migraine in males.
Changing estrogen levels in menstruating women can cause menstrual migraine. Low levels of estrogen suggest a correlation of migraine and other mental health issues.
The role of serotonin in the development of depression and anxiety has been known for years. Scientists have discovered genetic mutations that disrupt the signaling of serotonin in people with migraine and anxiety.
Certain medications that target serotonin receptors (triptans) in the brain, work to treat migraine. This could suggest a relationship of serotonin and migraine as well as other mental health issues.
Lifestyle
Changes in lifestyle and it’s affect on migraine and mental health can have long term results and an easy approach to include to other treatment options.
An analysis done in Japan on 30,000 adults, showed that migraine sufferers were twice as likely to miss work and had more frequent daily disruptions of normal activities than those without migraine.
Implementation of healthy lifestyle changes include:
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being with friends and family
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stay engaged and not in isolation when depressed or anxious
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eat healthy plant based diet with good protein and variety of fiber rich foods
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Identify triggers and avoid them
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include neurofeedback and behavioral therapy into treatment regime
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breathing and relaxation techniques
Treatment
Treatment options can include medication, neurofeedback, other therapy based practices and lifestyle and diet changes. In many cases can include a combination of them.
No matter what regime is followed, in the case of migraine and any comorbidities, it would be beneficial to treat them together. Making the connection between the issues and following the clues to find the root of the problem.
In some people, significantly reducing the anxiety can bring about considerable progress in their frequency and intensity of migraine.
Neurofeedback is part of the biofeedback family of therapies that have been shown over 30 years to safely and effectively improve brainwave activity in individuals with migraine and other mental health conditions.
Migraine and mental health issues have a distinct relationship. From anxiety, depression, ADD/ ADHD, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and bipolar disorder. Getting help from one of these conditions can sometimes help the other because of their close relationship. A combination of a good medication along with a good therapy can make a world of difference.
-A Balance Brain is a Pain Free Brain-