Arm Yourself and Educate People!

On Our Forum "I think that as Migraineurs we must become better educated and educate those around us. We have to stop calling these brain storms "headaches" and call them migraines. And we have to stop staying that we had a migraine because we had a stressful week at work. We are sometimes our own worst enemies. While a diabetic may have a more difficult time controlling his blood sugar and insulin needs during stressful times, the stress did not cause his diabetes. We need to view migraine and stress the same way. You have done so much to educate, but the rest of us have got to get on the band wagon and do our part too." Join the discussion     Related Resources • Headache/Migraine Awareness Benefits Everyone • Anatomy of a Migraine • Migraines, Not Really"Headaches" • Support: When people "don't get it!"    Elsewhere on the Web • ACHE: American Council for Headache Education • IHS: International Headache Society • MAGNUM: The National Migraine Association • NHF: National Headache Foundation • WHA: World Headache Alliance

Those afflicted with head pain disorders face a dilemma with which one would think we should be making progress. That dilemma is that of those around us who don't understand the problems caused by these disorders and continue to perceive us as people who are:

• using illness as an excuse.
• exaggerating or even faking pain for attention.
• having a simple headache and overreacting to it.
• should be able to continue with daily activities despite having a "headache."
• seeking narcotics.
• emotionally ill and need psychiatric treatment or psychological counseling.

"Despite notable advances, several obstacles have persistently undermined the prospects for optimal management of the disorder and its various comorbidities. Chief among these barriers is the widely held belief among the general population, as well as some healthcare providers, that Migraine is not a legitimate, treatable condition. Expanded educational endeavors are warranted to counter this misconception.¹"

I'm tired of the forum posts and emails where this problem is tearing people apart! It's not that I'm tired of working to help people. It's that I'm tired of the reason that makes that help necessary. We're all tired of it. We're tired of family members, friends, employers, medical personnel and others not knowing and understanding that Migraine and other head pain is not something we bring on ourselves and is not something that we can always control.

That said, what can we do about it?

1. Remember we're not alone. We're stronger as a community than we are as individuals, and each of us is supported by this community.
2. Don't give up!
3. Provide people with information. 

Prompted by a recent forum post, I've created a half-page informational flyer that we can all print out, keep with us, and give to people who need to be educated. To get that flyer, click HERE. To make it easy for everyone to print and use this flyer, it's provided in Adobe Acrobat format. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you can download it FREE by clicking HERE. The flyer includes some factual information, URL's for more information, and an email address to write for more information.

Ready, everyone? Print out that flyer! Arm yourselves with information and educate people!
                

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