Managing both migraines and mental health can feel like an overwhelming balancing act. The unpredictability and emotional toll of migraine attacks often lead to isolation, anxiety, and a constant need to adapt.

In today’s post, Willeke Van Eeckhoutte shares her personal experience of living with chronic migraines and multiple sclerosis. She reflects on how mindfulness, lifestyle changes, and self-compassion became essential tools in her migraine pain management journey – offering both relief and a deeper understanding of her body and mind.

Headaches are common – something nearly everyone has experienced at least once.

But for those caught in the grip of recurring, intense migraine attacks – especially ones accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to sound and light – the Road of Life can be a hard one to walk. The longer these attacks last and the more they happen, the more they affect your mental health. The pain (and the fear of the pain) can lead to anxiety, isolation, and emotional exhaustion.

I am very familiar with this struggle.

The relentless, throbbing pain on one side of my head, often for three days at a time, can make life hard to manage. 

Migraine sabotages nearly every part of “normal” living

A relaxed walk in the park with my dog? Bam! Migraine attack. I've no choice but to about-turn mid-walk and get home ASAP, my six-month-old puppy trailing after me with confusion in her eyes.

Or finally buying that Venti caramel latte that I've been looking forward to for days? Bam! The migraine comes on as soon as I'm handed my change.

The scenarios are endless. Anywhere with bright lights or loud noises can trigger a migraine. Skipping meals and stress (even eustress, aka “positive stress”)? Same story. These are just a few of my many migraine triggers I’ve learned to track.

Isolation and unpredictability

One of the hardest parts of chronic migraine – aside from the pain – is the unpredictability. The sheer unpredictability of migraine forces me to isolate myself, as I cannot plan activities around potential future attacks. I know they'll happen, so going out is always a risk.

I learned this lesson the hard way before realizing that migraine attacks during fun activities were inevitable.

I remember being at a concert when I decided that standing near the main stage would be fine... until it wasn't. The bright stage lights suddenly seared through my eyes and into my skull –the photophobia during migraine coupled with the pain almost knocked me off my feet. I had to be hoisted from the crowd and taken to the emergency room because my head felt like it was about to explode.

The noise and the lights taught me that "mind over matter" isn't always true. No matter the strength of my willpower, my body and chronic conditions still call the shots.

Learning to accept my body’s limits hasn’t been easy, especially since it means giving up things I once enjoyed.

I had to find other ways to take care of my mental health.

Adjusting my diet and avoiding triggers helped my migraines somewhat. But since "avoiding triggers" often meant skipping out on fun social events, I'd end up feeling frustrated and isolated. These feelings would usually raise my stress levels and, inevitably, make both my migraine and mental health feel worse.

My mental health deserves just as much attention as my migraines. Both affect my daily quality of life. Neglecting either will only make things harder for me.

Listening to my body to protect my mind

What I hadn’t fully grasped at first was just how deeply migraines were entangled with my emotional well-being. It wasn’t just about managing migraine pain – it was about managing the fear, the frustration, and the mental toll that came with it. This realization became even clearer when the attacks piled up – especially when I was also dealing with other health issues like multiple sclerosis (MS).

I wanted to reach a stable, attainable level of good mental health without relying entirely on medicine or medical intervention. In other words, I tried to find ways to help myself – my own form of migraine management.

I struck gold while reviewing a list of my migraine triggers.

It's easy to say that bright lights and loud noises can trigger a migraine. However, I needed to start keeping track of the situations and places where 1) these triggers were common, and 2) how I could try to avoid them. Avoiding these things (or reducing time spent with them) could lessen the number and seriousness of my migraine attacks. In a way, my brain gave me clues to help itself – which I find incredibly intriguing.

This realization made me reflect on how my brain responds to other challenges, too, especially when managing migraine and MS.

With MS, I learned the hard way that I needed to pay closer attention to the signals my brain sends me, such as feelings of fatigue, tension, or discomfort. By recognizing these cues early on – before the onset of physical pain like a migraine – I could better protect my emotional health. Living with constant, throbbing pain on one side of my head makes it difficult to maintain the awareness needed to see things clearly.

Managing migraines holistically

Over time, I learned techniques to ease emotional and mental stress, which are my first line of defense against migraines.

Mindfulness and pain management

One of the most effective tools came from a pain management course, where I was introduced to mindfulness for chronic pain. Through long and short guided meditation for migraines – especially body scan meditations – I found a way to release tension and mentally reset.

You can find examples of guided meditation sessions on platforms like SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube, and other meditation courses.

Mindfulness has also helped me in managing my other conditions. Constantly worrying about them would raise my stress levels, which would then turn into a stress-induced migraine.

Lifestyle adjustments helped

Other migraine lifestyle changes, such as – ouch – cutting back on my coffee and chocolate consumption, helped me reduce my sugar intake. I also became more mindful of my migraine and diet, which plays a bigger role than I expected.

My migraine attacks became less frequent, my overall health improved, and the other minor changes I'd made began working together to create a positive mental and physical cycle.

Balancing life and chronic pain isn't easy. But self-kindness is something you need to learn – and absolutely something you deserve.

The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.

The individual(s) who have written and created the content and whose images appear in this article have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions. This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals does not review, control, influence, or endorse any content related to the contributor's websites or social media networks. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice or recommendations. Consult a qualified medical professional for diagnosis and before beginning or changing any treatment regimen.

NPS-ALL-NP-01619 SEPTEMBER 2025