I have had migraines since my teens. By my thirties, they could happen about every two weeks and last for days. Exercise could trigger them too, which was frustrating when I felt capable of doing more.
That is the history I bring to this conversation. I want there to be room for what migraine interrupts, as well as how it is treated.
Another woman’s publicly shared experience
In an account published by The Migraine Trust, actor Jessica Fox described attacks that leave her in a dark room, unable to carry on with ordinary life. She also spoke about worrying whether people believe how much migraine affects her. [1]
That is her account, shared through the charity. It is not an interview I conducted, and neither her experience nor mine stands for everyone’s.
What did the survey find?
The charity’s report coverage on 21 September 2026 drew on a survey of 594 people with migraine, carried out between 31 July and 17 August. Nine in ten respondents said they had experienced not being believed about its severity or impact. The report also explored mental wellbeing. [1]
That figure describes the people who answered a UK charity survey. It is not a representative estimate for everyone with migraine or for Australian women, and the survey cannot prove a cause of mental-health difficulties.
What does an attack interrupt?
Work, plans, travelling, concentrating or caring for someone can all belong in the conversation. Describing those effects can help make a request for support clearer.
You should not have to perform being unwell convincingly. Being able to do something for part of a day does not tell another person what the rest of that day is like.
What would support make possible?
You might want a plan for what happens when an attack begins, how responsibilities can be adjusted or how to handle cancelled plans without repeatedly defending them.
Those are starting points for discussion, not a statement of workplace entitlements. If the emotional impact is becoming hard to manage, include that when you talk to your healthcare professional.
Treatment and understanding both matter
Botox treatment reduced my migraines significantly. That improvement belongs to that part of my treatment story; I do not attribute it to retatrutide.
I can be interested in new research while also wanting something quite straightforward: for the person describing her symptoms to be taken seriously.
Read the original source
- The Migraine Trust: Unbelievable report coverage ↗21 September 2026 · UK patient-charity survey and publicly shared accounts. Jessica Fox’s account is summarised with attribution; survey findings describe respondents.