Imagine suffering from debilitating pain, only to be repeatedly told it’s “normal.” That’s exactly what Kat Dennings endured for years.
The Two Broke Girls actress has been silently battling migraines since she was 12, often being dismissed and told to “suck it up.” Now, she’s finally ready to speak out. In an exclusive interview with Flow Space, Dennings shared that it took her a decade to finally be diagnosed with migraines.
A decade without a diagnosis
“When my mom first took me to a doctor, they said, ‘Oh, you’ll grow out of it. It’s just headaches.’ But it wasn’t. It was so much more than that,” Dennings said.
For years, Dennings pushed through the debilitating pain without the right treatment, but now, through her partnership with the Migraine Blackout Campaign, she’s speaking out to raise awareness and advocate for change.
“Most people are pushing through their migraine pain without access to adequate prescribed treatment because it’s very difficult to get,” Dennings explains. “This campaign is about showing just how challenging it can be to find the right care, and I’m a perfect example. It took me until I was in my 20s to really get the help I needed. I’m 38 now, and it’s still a constant journey.”
Barriers to treatment
One of the most frustrating barriers to proper migraine treatment, according to Dennings, is step therapy. This process requires patients to try and fail multiple treatments—typically the ones preferred by insurance companies—before being allowed to access more effective, often more expensive options.
It’s very frustrating, especially when you try over and over. Step therapy creates a lot of issues, and a lot of time is spent in severe discomfort because you’re trying treatments that don’t work for you,” Dennings says.
Reflecting on her experience managing migraines, Dennings opens up about the profound impact they’ve had on both her personal and professional life. In her career, she often has had to push through severe pain while on set, masking her discomfort to keep up with the demands of her job.
Impact on Dennings’ career and personal life
“For me, light and sound are triggers. I can feel it building, and it’s a real challenge with what I do for work,” Dennings says. “I’ve pushed through so much migraine pain that no one even knew about. People probably just thought I was in a bad mood.”
Socially, Dennings admits that her migraines often make her feel unreliable, as she frequently has to cancel plans at the last minute. This has left her social circle disappointed, a feeling she finds frustrating but hard to avoid when dealing with such unpredictable pain.
“It feels like you’re lying when you cancel plans because of a migraine. [Friends] really don’t understand the debilitating pain,” she says. “It causes anxiety too, because when you make future plans, you’re always hoping you’ll be feeling OK when the time comes.”
The stigma of migraines
Dennings also delved into the stigma surrounding migraines, particularly for women, and how it ties into medical gaslighting.
“I was told over and over, ‘Oh, you’re a girl, it’s just hormones.’ And while hormones can be a factor, 75% of migraine sufferers are women,” she says. “This is a big women’s health issue, and there’s a lot of medical gaslighting that happens. I’ve experienced it myself, where doctors were dismissive, saying, ‘It is what it is.'”
Now, after years of trying different treatments and switching doctors, Dennings feels more in control. She says she’s finally found a doctor who really listens to her and has helped her find a treatment that works for her.
“It’s been life-changing,” she shares.
Continuing to raise awareness
When asked for tips that help her manage migraine attacks, Dennings was quick to acknowledge that every migraine sufferer is different but shared what works for her—as long as she’s not driving or working when it hits.
“Best case, I get a heating pad on the back of my neck, lie down in a dark room with no sound or light,” Dennings says. “I even bought this ridiculous migraine helmet that squeezes your head and eyes—it actually feels good, though it blasts spa music you can’t turn off, so that’s not ideal.”
For Dennings, one of the most frustrating things is how little migraines are discussed.
“It feels like a punchline—’women and headaches,’ you know? There’s such a big difference between headaches and migraines, and it’s not talked about enough,” she explains. “That’s why I’m so excited to work with Pfizer on this campaign, because millions of people suffer from migraines, but it’s still so misunderstood.”
By sharing her own struggles and working on this campaign, Dennings hopes to shed light on the reality of living with migraines, raise awareness and push for the changes needed to help others get the care they deserve.
“I’ve learned a lot through this campaign. Millions of people suffer from migraines, so it’s really something I wish people talked about more.”