Before we get into the importance of understanding and identifying migraine triggers, let’s clarify what a migraine is in the first place.
In most cases, migraines manifest as headaches and are characterized by sensitivity to light and sound. Nausea and vomiting may accompany migraine attacks. Sometimes, the headaches can be so intense that they can debilitate individual for hours or even days. Auras, or visual disturbances like flashes of light or blind spots, can happen before or during migraines as well.
But did you know some migraines don’t even come with headaches?
Many migraines can create throbbing, stabbing headaches that make even the slightest lights or sounds feel like an all-out assault on the senses. Vestibular migraines, on the other hand, are a type of migraine which usually only cause dizziness and can present without any head-pain at all.
Anxiety and migraines: the evil step-sisters of the brain.
If you’ve struggled with migraines, you probably know how these tricky little f***ers can create anxiety.
If you’re not dealing with migraines yourself, you may be reading this because you care about someone who is. If so, imagine a recurring and often debilitating pain that comes up seemingly out of the blue. Now imagine if that pain was so serious it made you miss work, family time, and even kept you in bed for days at a time. Can you see how anxious you might become at the first sign of a migraine?
Can you also imagine how important it would be to know what’s causing the pain? This is why we, those who treat and deal with migraines, focus on identifying triggers.
Anxiety and migraines: the evil step-sisters of the brain.
If you’ve struggled with migraines, you probably know how these tricky little f***ers can create anxiety.
If you’re not dealing with migraines yourself, you may be reading this because you care about someone who is. If so, imagine a recurring and often debilitating pain that comes up seemingly out of the blue. Now imagine if that pain was so serious it made you miss work, family time, and even kept you in bed for days at a time. Can you see how anxious you might become at the first sign of a migraine?
Can you also imagine how important it would be to know what’s causing the pain? This is why we, those who treat and deal with migraines, focus on identifying triggers.
The anxiety/migraine loop.
Stress has been identified as one of the most common triggers of migraine headaches. Unfortunately, this means that even worrying about migraines can contribute to experiencing them, which creates a sort of feedback loop between the headaches and anxiety (one amplifies the other.)
This also means that it’s important to treat our anxiety if we want our migraine issue to get better. If your mental health is undermined by chronic worry or stress, getting a handle on these emotions and the thoughts they produce will be important for addressing your migraines.
As a migraine coach, I can tell you that an organized and systematic approach is critical for overcoming this issue.
As someone who has dealt with migraines for years, I know first-hand what it’s like, and as a trained and licensed counselor and a migraine coach, I know what works. Like with so many medical or mental issues, I teach my clients that it’s important to take on migraines in an organized way.
I work with clients on a weekly basis and implement a three-step process which includes identifying and combating triggers, getting connected to specialized medical professionals, and mastering your migraine-related stress and anxiety.
Understanding your triggers is the first step to overcoming migraines.
This is exactly why it’s so important to know your migraine triggers. They are the first step in unlocking a road-map to new and improved wellness. By knowing where migraines start, we can work on stopping them dead in their tracks. Or, even better, prevent them from starting altogether!
Learning about triggers teaches migraine-sufferers that there are behaviors, foods, and even places they can avoid to prevent migraines from starting. Sometimes though, you can’t avoid every trigger. In these cases, it’s even more important to know what your triggers are, so you’re not engaging in several at a time.
For example, if your migraines are triggered by perfumes and your boss smells like he just emptied a whole bottle of it on himself, you may not be able to avoid interacting with him. What you will know, is that it’s especially important that you avoid sweets or loud music that day (if these are other identified triggers).
Therapy to help with migraines is designed to help you figure out your triggers.
So you know identifying triggers is a priority in the fight against migraines, but why do you need a migraine couch? Unfortunately, doing just that (identifying those pesky triggers) isn’t always easy, and the right help can make all the difference.
In my work as a migraine coach, I teach people that they likely have a few different migraine triggers. What’s even more confusing is a trigger may not always result in a migraine. You may often go for some time without a migraine, and during these in-between periods, the presence of a trigger is less likely to lead to an attack.
Common triggers of migraine headaches:
I’ve created the following list of common triggers which is based on medical research and on my own extensive work in the field:
- Stress
- Certain foods and food additives
- Weather and barometric pressure
- Menstrual cycles
- Excessive exercise and strain
- Fluorescent lighting, bright lights, and blue light from your computer or phone screen
- Certain fragrances
- Medications
- Alcohol and caffeine
- Lack of sleep or inconsistent sleeping patterns
- Hunger/dehydration
CBT for the treatment of migraines:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is backed by more scientific research than any other form of clinical counseling. As a therapist, I specialize in CBT because I have seen how well it works and how many different issues it’s suitable for – including overcoming migraines!
Much like my approach to migraine coaching, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is organized and systematic.
Just like I would do with a client who was coming to see me for non-migraine related anxiety or other personal issues, I take an intentional and organized approach to helping individuals overcome migraines.
One of the things we might do is set-up a migraine journal, which you’ll use to take regular notes about everything migraine-related in your life. The foods you eat, changes in your sleep patterns, exercise (or lack thereof) – anything in the two-day period before the onset of your migraine can provide valuable clues to help us figure out those all-important triggers.
CBT for the treatment of migraines:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is backed by more scientific research than any other form of clinical counseling. As a therapist, I specialize in CBT because I have seen how well it works and how many different issues it’s suitable for – including overcoming migraines!
Much like my approach to migraine coaching, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is organized and systematic.
Just like I would do with a client who was coming to see me for non-migraine related anxiety or other personal issues, I take an intentional and organized approach to helping individuals overcome migraines.
One of the things we might do is set-up a migraine journal, which you’ll use to take regular notes about everything migraine-related in your life. The foods you eat, changes in your sleep patterns, exercise (or lack thereof) – anything in the two-day period before the onset of your migraine can provide valuable clues to help us figure out those all-important triggers.
More important notes for your migraine journal.
If you want to get started on identifying your triggers, think about including the following information in your journal:
- What time did you wake up? What time did you go to bed?
- What changes have occurred in your lifestyle or daily routine?
- A rough sketch of your days (include going to work, meal times, physical symptoms, etc.)
- What medications have you taken (or not taken) and what were the dosages?
- Did you exercise or travel?
- When did you have bowel movements?
- What’s your mood been like?
- Notes about onset or ongoing menstrual cycle (for women.)
- What did you eat?
Specialized medical attention is another critical step for overcoming migraines.
As the second step in my process, I will help you figure out how to access medical professionals who specialize in treating migraines and how to advocate for yourself before, during, and after your medical appointments.
Step 3 in my process: grow your migraine tool-box!
Once we’ve identified your triggers and we’ve teamed you up with specialized doctors for your migraines (steps 1 and 2), I will work with you to develop critical tools for dealing with your migraines.
Specifically, I’ll teach you strategies to regulate your nervous system, how to implement mindfulness, and ways to reduce your overall stress, which will lead to less frequent and less intense migraines.
CBT for migraines in Fort Lauderdale.
If you’re over the unpredictable pain that zaps the joy out of your life, if you’re all out of sick-days at work, and/or if you’re just tired of being on what feels like the migraine hamster wheel, then you’re probably ready to take the next step to overcoming your migraines.
As a migraine coach, I can offer you in-person sessions if you’re in Fort Lauderdale, or online sessions anywhere in the U.S. If you decide to work with me, we’ll start off by taking a systematic approach to figuring out your triggers, like I described in the above.
Overcoming migraine-related anxiety.
As a cognitive behavioral therapist, I specialize in anxiety and migraines. So naturally, I have an intimate and first-hand understanding of the relationship between the two.
I know that recurring migraines can make you anxious about work and relationships. What if you have a migraine attack on an important day at the office, or during a meeting with a big client? Do your friends believe that you actually have a migraine again, or have they started suspecting that you’re just using these as an excuse to flake?
If you’re in Fort Lauderdale, contact me today to get a handle on your migraines.
Or even if you’re anywhere else in the U.S., I can help you achieve a new lifestyle and level of overall wellness. You don’t have to constantly worry about when your next migraine attack will be anymore, because you’ll have a handle on the issue and on your life.
Migraines have taken enough of your life away from you. It’s time you took your life back.
With therapy for anxiety, self esteem, or migraines, I can help you build an arsenal of tools you can use to achieve the life you deserve. Believe me. You got this!
Therapy & Coaching at Essence of Healing Counseling Services
Roberta Alves is a Therapist and Development Coach at Essence of Healing Counseling, located in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, FL. She is also a Certified Anxiety Specialist who uses the solution focused and evidence based therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy. Research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy is proven to be extremely effective in treating anxiety and improving self-esteem. Roberta provides counseling services to her clients who live in Ft. Lauderdale and the surrounding South Florida areas in her office in downtown, and also through telehealth counseling via online video and phone sessions. She also provides coaching services to clients throughout the country via online video and phone sessions. If you want to learn proven techniques to overcome stress, improve your self-esteem, and achieve your goals, call (954) 526-4006 to schedule an appointment today.
