migrainebrain

Anyone else had a bad case of migraine brain this week, or just me? #migrainebrain #chronicmigraine

I received a private message on tumblr from someone who was recently diagnosed with Chronic Migraines after dealing with them intermittently over the last 7 years. Like my own migraines, this individual admitted that their migraines have gotten progressively worse as time goes on and they are at the point where it is affecting the functionality of their daily life. I was asked by this individual if I had any tips for them regarding dealing with migraines and coming to the realization that this would now be a permanent part of their lives.

I am not a neurologist or a doctor of any kind so, I cannot give advice in those areas, but I can share my own views and experiences as someone who suffers from chronic migraine.

I liken being diagnosed with a chronic illness to the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I have certainly gone through these stages several times over the years, but acceptance is the most difficult one of all. No one wants to accept that your life now revolves solely around your illness. Everything that I do or want to do is now made with my migraines exclusively in mind. Will I be under florescent lights for any given period of time? How loud will the venue be? Will there be strong scents that might trigger a migraine? These are all things that I take into consideration now but had been blissfully ignorant of before.

One of the most important things for me was finding a support system. It is quite easy to fall into a depression when you are dealing with something that people around you cannot comprehend. If you have family and friends who understand the struggles you are dealing with, wonderful. Talk to them. They will keep you afloat on the stormy sea of migraine. If you do not physically have people around you, go online. There are so many online communities now where people post about their chronic illness. I originally found a group on Facebook and just being able to converse with like-minded people even though I am fortunate enough to have a supportive family made me feel better. I realized that there are people all across the globe who experience the same things as me.

Everyone's migraine brain is different and so is everyone's method for dealing with migraine. While my migraine brain and your migraine brain might differ from one another that does not mean you are facing this battle alone. It is a battle. In fact, it is an all-out war. I'm not going to sugarcoat that. Some days will be better than others and some will be worse. That is simply the luck of the draw with a chronic illness. The best advice that I can give is to do your best each day and listen to your body. Do what you can, rest when you must, and know that you are not alone. #Migraine #ChronicIllness #ChronicMigraines #migrainebrain