Migraines Are Not Headaches-Show Some Compassion

Migraines Are Not Headaches-Show Some Compassion

I can’t just “pop an Advil and be on with my day”.

I can barely open my eyes without feeling like I’m going to throw up.

Certain smells will make me feel nauseous.

I can’t be in a room with lights, let alone even look at my phone.

I have to just lay there, in the dark, sometimes crying from the pain.

I have to wear sunglasses if I’m in a bright place and suddenly feel a migraine coming.

I can even feel one is coming hours before it actually starts.

Sometimes I wake up in the morning, knowing I have one coming that night.

Saying to me “maybe you need to drink more” or “you just need more rest and to drink more water” is not helpful.

Or saying “isn’t it just a little pain in your head, can’t you nap for 20 minutes then feel better??” Is also not helpful.

Migraines are not headaches.

I’ve missed many things because of it. Many moments, many important days.

When I am invited to something that’s a few days away, I will think to myself “oh, I hope I don’t get a migraine that day.”

Normal sounds such as flushing a toilet, or a fork scraping on a plate, or a door shutting, all sounds like an earthquake is happening inside your head to someone with a migraine.

It is not just a “little pain in your head”.

Migraines are not headaches.

I cannot hide when I have a migraine. My vein will show you exactly where the pain is, my eyes will be watery from the lights around me, and I will be walking around holding my forehead trying to get some relief. I can’t just ignore it and get on with my day. It’s an all consuming pain, and I live with it, I deal with it the best I can, and I know I’m not alone.

Migraines are not headaches.