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A solid support system is essential to effective Migraine management. Even the best medical care and treatment will fall short in keeping a Migraineur going during periods of chronic or especially severe Migraines if their support system is inadequate.
In addition to the physical havoc Migraine wreaks on the body, it messes with our lives in other ways. Many aspects of life that are often taken for granted are impacted negatively:
relationships with family, friends, and coworkers;- working, continuing or building a career;
- accomplishing every-day tasks such as cleaning, laundry, and shopping;
- continuing our education;
- engaging in intellectually stimulating activities such as reading.
Migraine can also negatively impact our self-esteem. It’s difficult to feel confident when our ability to function is so impacted.
A support system can have elements or branches of many types in many places:
- family
- friends
- coworkers
- medical support staff
- church
- neighbors
- online or face-to-face support groups
- web sites and online forums (discussion boards) and chat rooms
- nonprofit organizations
An important thing for us to remember is good “care and feeding” or our support system. When we’re not well, it’s easy to lose touch with people. We have to cancel social plans, may miss holidays and other events, and don’t even manage to mail out the greeting cards we’d like to. So, it’s important to let the people involved in our support know that they’re important to us and to thank them. One way to address this is by preparing greeting cards in advance so they’re ready to send at the right times. For more on this, see Staying in Touch with Greeting Cards Despite Migraines.
What type and how much support we need varies from person to person. Still, the importance of a solid support system shouldn’t be underestimated. We have an online forum where you can post comments and questions in discussions for support. If you’d like to find a live support group in your area, ask your doctor or call local hospitals to see if they can refer you to one. Another good place to look for one is on the web site of the National Headache Foundation.
The elements of an effective Migraine management system work together to help us improve both our health and our quality of life. If you’ve missed the posts on the other six elements or would like to review them, here are links to the other posts in this series:
Migraine Management Essentials Series
Live well,
© Teri Robert, 2011
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"I had my first migraine when I was 12. I thought I was going blind, the spots in my vision all grouped together and everything went black. The pain was intense and felt like my head would crack open above my right eye." 
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