Fantasy – Fact – ACTION!
Yearly in June, Migraine and Headache Consciousness Month (MHAM), individuals with migraine and different headache problems come collectively to lift consciousness about these debilitating illnesses. The 2024 MHAM theme is Fantasy, Fact, ACTION. For our annual consciousness venture, Migraine Behind the Masks, members of the Migraine Meanderings neighborhood volunteer to take part, serving to present what life with migraine is like when no- one is wanting. Once we really “take away the masks” of pretending to be okay. Every day, we spotlight one migraine warrior who courageously selected to share a migraine illness delusion that’s private to them, the reality dispelling the parable, and an motion to take to assist improve consciousness and cut back stigma.
This 12 months, these affected person tales have been made into brief movies posted throughout our social media channels: Fb, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter / X, Threads, YouTube, and TikTok. As well as, we compiled a few of the most persistent migraine myths, together with the reality and acceptable motion, into our annual Migraine Behind the Masks video. We encourage you to watch this video now when you haven’t already, and please share it with your pals, household, and colleagues.
Fantasy, Fact, ACTION
Listed below are two examples of posts from our neighborhood:
Jeremy’s delusion? That individuals with migraine are hypochondriacs. The reality is: migraine illness has a incapacity charge of 20% of people who find themselves identified! Jeremy’s motion is to share this statistic far and broad so individuals with out migraine can higher perceive its impression. Aspynn desires to dispel the parable that migraine assaults don’t happen typically and resolve shortly, when in actuality they will happen day by day and final for days, weeks, or months. Her name to motion is to work together with your physician to develop a migraine motion plan.
Everybody Can be a Migraine Advocate
As many members of our migraine neighborhood have instructed us, sharing their tales and educating others helps them discover objective of their ache.
Sharing our migraine journey is empowering; we study to advocate for ourselves and others. We achieve a way of management when our well being feels out of our management. It additionally permits us to concentrate on serving to and connecting with others, bettering our general sense of well-being. We’re grateful to and impressed by the volunteers who participated on this venture!
How To Take part In Migraine Advocacy
If you need to make use of your voice and lift consciousness about migraine, there are 3 methods you possibly can change into concerned:
1. Legislative Advocacy
That is what involves most individuals’s minds after they hear the phrase “advocacy.” These advocates spend their time assembly with native, state, and federal legislators to debate and ask for help for pending laws that can assist individuals residing with migraine. They work to make sure legal guidelines are in place to guard individuals residing with persistent circumstances. Moreover, you possibly can take part by writing letters, making calls, and assembly with legislators.
2. Affected person advocacy
Affected person advocates elevate consciousness about their migraine in a number of methods. They might share articles and posts from migraine advocacy social media channels. They might write about their situation on their weblog or web site. They’ll volunteer with a non-profit that focuses on schooling or supporting individuals with migraines, supporting others and selling their fundraising actions. Usually, they use their very own social media platforms to lift consciousness and share their private experiences residing with their illness.
3. Private Advocacy
That is after we arise for what we’d like in our personal private lives, and people of our household members. This implies talking out at residence, college, and work, with our medical group, and with our pals, household and colleagues. In advocating for ourselves we discover the braveness to request affordable ADA lodging at work and faculty. We create a house setting that doesn’t set off or worsen migraine signs. We inform our family and friends what we’re going by means of, and precisely how they will finest help us. We regularly work with our medical doctors to get an correct analysis, strive new remedies and therapies, and discover the administration plan that’s best.
Keep in mind, you possibly can advocate for migraine all 12 months spherical, not simply throughout Migraine and Headache Consciousness Month. Migraine stays a extremely stigmatized situation, in addition to being grossly under-diagnosed and sometimes mistreated. Through the use of your distinctive voice and sharing your private migraine journey, you’re serving to others higher perceive that migraine is greater than “only a headache” and that they don’t seem to be alone.
Tell us…
Have you ever shared your private migraine expertise with others? Have you ever participated in Migraine and Headache Consciousness Month actions like advocacy or fundraising? If you need to take part in Migraine Meandering’s advocacy or fundraising actions, please e-mail us at: [email protected]
Thank You To Our Beneficiant Sponsors
Migraine Meanderings is grateful for the funding that makes this venture potential. W want to thank our 2024 trade sponsors: Pfizer, Amgen, AbbVie, Lundbeck, and Tonix. With out our trade sponsors, we might not have the ability to present this instructional program and assist elevate consciousness about migraine. Collectively we’re making a distinction!
