Thirty-six million Americans -- about 12 percent of the population -- suffers from migraines. While many people have friends, siblings, or relatives that deal with the crippling pain and extreme side effects, many are unaware of what it’s like to actually experience one and deal with it day in and day out. Here are 11 things that people with migraines want you to know.
Migraines are different than headaches. Migraines are a physical, emotional, and mental attack on your body. They are severe enough to put people in the hospital, the pain can last for hours even days, and some medications involve injections and daily preventatives in order to control the migraines.
Each migraine we encounter is different and at times completely unexpected. Sometimes we don’t know when a migraine will hit us. Usually we can tell from the weather or if we didn’t get enough sleep the night before, but at times, we can be enjoying lunch and soon be hit with traumatic pain. Each migraine is different, ranging from steady pain that could sometimes be cured with Advil to intense, uncontrollable pain.
We rely on the support from our family and friends. Nothing is more comforting and soothing than knowing your friends and family will be supporting you and helping you through your journey. Sometimes the thought of them just being there can help us move forward in a positive light.
We don’t mean to shut down or be distant. It is so difficult to do anything at all when dealing with a migraine. Sometimes we stop interacting in an activity because the pain is inhibiting our bodies to do anything else but lay down. We are sorry, but sometimes our bodies just can’t take it.
With migraines come side effects, bare with us. Common side effects of migraines include vomiting, dizziness, loss of sight, irritation to light and loud noises, and constant throbbing pain, to name a few.
If we cancel plans or are unable to attend an event, believe us that the pain is too traumatic to attend. It’s crippling and completely heartbreaking when we have to cancel an event or a dinner out due to pain. I can’t tell you how many new years, birthday parties, and family dinners were missed due to a migraine.
We have mastered the technique of hiding it. Just because we may be out dancing or laughing hysterically at a joke doesn’t mean that we aren’t in agonizing pain. We smile, laugh, and will hold a genuine conversation all while telling ourselves that in a few more hours we will be able to take our medication and go straight to bed.
It is an attack on your whole body, not just your head. In a matter of minutes, a migraine can have you hunched over the toilet vomiting, crying hysterically because the pain is so severe, and not being able to see anything in front of you. A migraine doesn’t affect just your head, but your emotional, physical, and mental part of your body too.
We are always thankful it’s not worse than it is. There is no doubt that migraines are at the top of our worst enemies but we would rather deal with them rather than be faced with something that couldn’t be cured or something we were unable to take medication for.
We know what it’s like to ruin an event or kill the mood at a party and we apologize. There is nothing worse than ruining the vibe of a great night out with a migraine. Just know that we don’t want people to not have fun and we would do anything to make the migraine go away.
Sometimes we just need a hug. It can be extremely frustrating with medication not working, different treatments, and the unpredictability of a migraine. At times, all we need is someone to cuddle up on the couch with and give us a hug to let us know that we aren’t alone in this fight.
