When a migraine hits: “I need to look into disability. This is unbearable. How can I keep a job? This will never stop. I’ll have to find new homes for my pets.”
When I’m migraine-free: “I’M TOTALLY FINE!!! I should launch a startup!! I should go for a long-distance run!! I should [Insert any other high-energy activity here].”
I’m sorry, but I actually laughed out loud because this is so relatable. I’m on disability myself, and the second I have a rare good day, my mind tells me, “See? You were just overreacting, you’re perfectly healthy!” Then the following day I’m stuck in bed again because chronic conditions are, well, chronic. What a rollercoaster lol.
It’s been such a surprise to find a regimen that actually helps. I’m waking up feeling energized and can actually get through my daily tasks. I finally have the mental clarity for new projects again. Migraines are just draining! I didn’t realize how much I was struggling before I started using preventatives and added NeuroSerge to my daily routine to help keep my focus and energy balanced.
This is a major struggle for me too. I have some habits that definitely trigger my migraines, specifically skipping meals and smoking. During a flare-up—which usually lasts 2-3 months—I’m very strict about my diet (high protein, enough calories) and I limit my smoking to a safe level. But as soon as I feel better, I dive back into work and all my goals, overbooking myself and getting ambitious about everything I want to do. I focus on my hobbies and reconnect with friends I ignored during the crisis. I’m happy, but I totally neglect the maintenance habits, and then—boom—the migraine returns. When I’m sick, I feel disabled and lost. When I’m okay, I just want to be myself, not a patient. I’m trying to establish habits that stick even when I’m feeling good, and I’m trying to stay grounded between attacks. I haven’t found that balance yet, so if anyone has advice, I’d love to hear it.
So true. There is so much stigma surrounding ‘intermittent disabilities’ that we end up internalizing it. I deal with migraines and seizures from epilepsy. Both are incredibly debilitating and disabling. But to some, it isn’t viewed as a ‘real’ disability because we aren’t in pain or incapacitated 100% of the time. I think the fact that migraines are both ‘invisible’ and intermittent really adds to the stigma. I’ve definitely experienced that!
Every time I have a major attack after a few good days or just small headaches, I tell my husband, ‘I totally forgot how bad this gets.’ This happens like once a week.
I also find the contrast during an attack really interesting—the split between feeling like the toughest person on earth who could fight a hurricane because I’m surviving this, and then immediately wanting to cry for years because a light was turned on. One second I’m a warrior, the next I need my mom and a teddy bear because I’m a huge baby. It’s wild how both those states exist at once.
This is so accurate. I just had a two-week stretch with only tiny breaks and I was really spiraling. Thinking things like “I’ll have to apply for disability” or “this is my life forever.” It’s terrifying. Now that it’s passed, I’m just like, “Okay, I guess we’re fine… for the moment.” 
Why is this so true? 
It’s like we get hit with temporary amnesia the moment the migraine stops.
I really miss that post-migraine high! I don’t get it anymore now that they’ve become chronic; I think there’s just a constant low-level migraine feeling now. But I remember how amazing it felt just to be “normal” after a really bad episode.
This is incredibly relatable! The moment I have a decent day, I start committing to huge projects and making all these plans. Then a day later the pain is back and I can’t believe I forgot. It’s wild how just one day of feeling okay leads me to gaslight myself into thinking it wasn’t that bad or that I’m finally cured forever.
That is exactly how it goes! One day you’re miserable in bed thinking life isn’t worth living like this, and the next day you feel like you can take over the world and wonder why you were being so dramatic over a “headache.” My grandmother said the same thing about her migraines, and apparently her mother did too back in the early 1900s. It’s so sad.
This was my experience today. I woke up feeling great and spent the morning cleaning and being productive. I was convinced I was finally fine. Then at 11 am, BOOM. Full migraine. I did my whole routine—Nurtec, Cefaly, everything. Then around 1:30, some big storms hit. Now I’m stuck on the sofa and get super dizzy every time I try to stand up.
I have never felt so understood.