Talking about Migraine disease isn't always easy. Sadly, there's still a great deal of stigma surrounding Migraine, and that can make it more difficult. Migraine is also very much still misunderstood, with lots of myths and misinformation still coloring people's perceptions and behaviors toward us.
Despite all of that, I'm very open about having Migraines, what they're like, the problems they've caused, and the limitations they still impose upon me. There was a time when I tried to avoid talking about my Migraines, like they were some kind of dirty secret, but that was long ago.
I'm not sure if my attitude has developed with age or as some form of self-defense, but my attitude now is that anyone who doesn't understand and chooses not to learn what they'd need to learn to understand doesn't need to be part of my life. It simply makes sense to me that life is better and easier when the people who are part of our lives bring positive energies into the relationship, and we care about each other.
Some Migraineurs feel that we sometimes lose friends because of our Migraines, but I view it another way. Migraines and other illnesses or adversities reveal those who are true friends. True friendships are two-sided, and we don't lose true friends over an illness. We need to recognize that there are times when we're good friends to people who are not good friends to us.
Work and the relationships there are more difficult. Sometimes, we don't have any choice other than managing to get along with people who are unkind or downright hostile. I'm very fortunate that my job is writing about and teaching others about Migraine, AND that my bosses really understand what living with Migraine can be like. They understand when they can't reach me during the business day. They get it that I need to arrive a day early and stay a day later when I travel.
When I talk about Migraines, I do my best to always have the most current information for people. There's much about Migraine that scientists still don't know, and new information comes to light regularly. As far as talking about my own Migraines, that's a long story since I've had Migraines for over 50 years. I'll gladly share anything people want to know, but try not to get into long, long stories.
People fear things that go bump in the dark. To reduce the stigma, misconceptions, and stereotypes surrounding Migraine disease, we must bring it into the light and keep it there.
This is my entry for the October, 2012, Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival, which can be found on SomebodyHealMe.
Live well,
Get the latest Migraine and headache news, informational articles, tips for living well, and more in my free weekly newsletter. To subscribe, CLICK HERE.
Follow me on 
or 
© Teri Robert, 2012
Last updated September 10, 2012.