Migraines belong to the group of headache disorders, which are among the most common nervous system disorders. To be more precise, 3.1 billion people suffered from headache disorders in the year 2021. 

Migraine is an octopus, long tentacles wrapping slowly around my head

Ready, waiting for the right moment to strike 

Bursting my head into just lost memories 

Sometimes, just pressing or stabbing me in the eye 

Making me want to pull my teeth out one by one

My migraine is a spider, crawling in my brain, all thoughts become reality 

Nothings sensible anymore

Is it you, mother, or just a nurse

My migraine is a mosquito, sucking all the life out of my veins, draining me of my will

Is it just a dream?

Is that me, but who am I?

Migraines often start to show during puberty and mean recurring attacks for life, appearing in most cases in episodes lasting around 4 to 72 hours. Most typically, being the one-sided headache.

A migraine attack is divisible into four phases, starting with the Prodrome, which is the pre-headache phase, noticeable by concentration problems, irritability, sleeping problems, speaking problems and more. Afterwards, the aura phase follows, typically including visual and sensory problems, like seeing bright, flashy dots or dark spots and perceptual disorder. 
It can even lead to changes in smell and taste and a numb, tingling feeling in your limbs.
The following phase is the headache, being the peak of the attack, it is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of consciousness, feeling warm or shivering and being sensitive to light and sound.
The attack ends with the Postdrome, casually called migraine hangover, with symptoms like concentration and speech difficulties, depression and again fatigue.
Not every migraine must be accompanied by a headache, and not everybody experiences an aura either. Migraine is a disorder as individual as the person suffering from it, making it hard to find the exact cause. 

Latest research leads to the belief that it is a result of the release of pain-producing inflammatory substances around the nerves. 
The brain activity differs as well, showing in a high network activity and thus stronger functional connectivity in the auditory, visual, and sensorimotor circuits of the brain. 
It is also believed that genetic neurotransmitter abnormalities play a significant role in migraine attacks. 
Neurotransmitters are the body’s messengers between our nerve cells, muscles and glands, ensuring communication that controls everything we feel and do. 
Serotonin, for example, is a neurotransmitter that can impact blood vessel constriction and dilation, potentially influencing migraine attacks. 
So migraines are not psychosomatic but an actual neurological disorder.
Still, headache disorders are quiet and invisible, leading to being overlooked easily in not just our society, but also in healthcare, because of a lack of knowledge. 

Getting diagnosed and treated seems like a miracle when, in some countries, medications against migraines are not even available. Explaining why it is estimated that half of the people are self-treating, some being more successful than others.
When it comes to constraining health care costs, many governments tend to overlook how much smaller the costs of treating headaches are in comparison to the huge indirect ones caused by, e.g., sick days.

Therefore, suffering from headache disorders is so much more complex than just recurring headaches, but also a damaged quality of life and a high financial cost.

Furthermore, chronic migraines are closely connected to depression due to the added stress from the physical pain, limiting career potential and making it harder to pursue relationships.
Migraines are one of the top three most disabling chronic illnesses to have, so never forget we do not know what is going on in someone’s head.

Nelli Winzer

Sources:
Migraines and Depression: A Connection That Should Not Be Overlooked | Bangkok International Hospital (Brain x Bone)
Migraine Stages in NYC & NJ | Advanced Headache Center
Migraine and other headache disorders | WHO