"The best prescription is knowledge."
-- Dr. C. Everett Koop
Knowledge, educating yourself about headaches and Migraine, is the best place to start. The American Council for Headache Education (ACHE) and MAGNUM: The National Migraine Association have excellent web sites with quite comprehensive resources. There are also some excellent books available. Headache Help by Dr. Lawrence Robbins and Susan Lang is excellent. The narrative sections are clear and easy to follow, and it has excellent lists and charts for reference.
The more you know about your headaches and Migraine -- regardless of what type of headaches they are -- the more you'll be able to tell your doctors about them and how they affect you, and the more you'll be able to understand when they talk to you about them. The best healthcare is a team effort, and the best teams include the patient as the team leader. Another benefit to learning all you can is that you feel more secure and have less uncertainty.
Teach others about headaches and Migraine. We can't give other people head pain like that we have (it wouldn't be nice anyway), but we can teach them. If you want a book that really has wonderful descriptions that will help people understand, check out Kristine Hatak's A Guided Tour of Hell: Migraine, in the Words of It's Sufferers. It doesn't matter if you're trying to describe Migraines or other head pain, this book does it.
Asserting yourself in a situation where you feel you are not receiving proper or adequate care is not wrong. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If your doctor resents questions or won't work with you, there is a problem with that doctor. Dr. Stephen Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Headache Center and a member of the U.S. Headache Consortium has commented,
"We believe pain begets pain. So nipping it in the bud can only be helpful down the road ... If you're not getting adequate therapy or care, then get a new doctor."
Rights -- Remember that you have them. There is actually a Migraineurs Bill of Rights. It is applicable to anyone who suffers from headaches, and you will love it! It just says the things we've known all along, but it finally puts it into words and onto the internet. Print it out. Give it to doctors, friends, family. It may not be law, but it's good!
Disability benefits DO apply to people with disabling head pain disorders. MAGNUM is doing extensive work in this field. Take a look at their web site to see what they've done and what you can do to help in the advocacy arena!
Support is vital to anyone with a head pain disorder. No matter how compassionate family and friends may be, they probably won't quite understand if they don't experience these headaches or Migraine attacks themselves. There may be support groups in your area. There are definitely many online sources for support. Right here, on About, you will find support in our Headaches forum and chat room or by headaches.guide@about.com me.
When we start with these steps to empower ourselves, WE control our lives again. We don't have to feel as if the head pain controls us. We can get back to the balance of realizing that yes, we have head pain that is a part of our lives, but that we can work with our healthcare teams to gain control of it. A conscious decision to be the leaders of our healthcare teams is the beginning. Educating ourselves, our families, and our friends is next. Empowerment. It's a wonderful feeling.
