We Are So Much More Than Our Migraines

Migraine can leave many of us feeling guilty...a lot of the time. From canceling plans, to calling out of work sick, to missing family gatherings and important moments, migraine has a way of stealing from us what and who we truly want to be. It also legitimately limits many of us in what we can achieve, physically and emotionally, and a lot of the time the culmination of missing out or not being well enough to show up can make some of us feel depressed, anxious, doubtful, and just generally unhappy. These feelings are real, difficult to navigate, and can have a serious impact of our livelihood.

An important reminder

So  I wanted to take a moment to say to all of us in the migraine community, that we are not alone, that we are valuable, that we are more than our migraines, and that the guilt we hold does not represent or control us. Sure, we might miss an important game, or have to call out sick often due to our pain, but those instances do not define us. Sure, it doesn’t feel good to miss out, or to feel unreliable, but that is not who we are. We are people who happen to live with migraine, but we have desires and strong wills.

Multidimensional warriors

Having found much solace and support in the wonderful migraine community that I have been so privileged to interact with and learn from, I have gathered that we are hardworking professionals, compassionate instructors and teachers, loving partners, husbands, wives, and children, driven and determined students, and enthusiastic friends among many, many other things. We experience joy, and we dream and hope big. We try and we win, we love hard and play hard. We are multidimensional warriors. We, as a community, are powerful, knowledgeable, strong, and beautiful. We care a lot, about others as well as ourselves, and we achieve a great many things as a group and as individuals. Particularly here, in a community setting where we are all helping one another along, our voices and thoughts and considerations really do have an impact.

Kudos to us, a vibrant community of kindred souls

I am thankful to the many other folks who experience migraine who extend their experiences to others, for constantly reminding me that I am not alone, and for uplifting me and encouraging me, but most importantly for being such strong unique individuals who share colorful, bright experiences of humanity. Yes, a lot of the experiences many of us deal with are just downright dark and difficult, and we are all here together to impart empathy and understanding, advocate for one another, listen and grow. But outside of that darkness and difficulty lays such determination, such hunger for wellness, such good intention for ourselves and others, and such compassion that it warrants taking a moment to remember and acknowledge. To each and every one of us, kudos, thank you for being unique, strong, and human. Again, we are more than our migraines, and this wonderful community never ceases to prove just that.

In what ways are you more than your migraines? Let’s celebrate ourselves, holistically, in the comments!