Why Retreat to RetreatMigraine?

Retreat. I have wanted to retreat from my own body — but why to RetreatMigraine?

A little background

RetreatMigraine is an annual event that CHAMP (Coalition of Headache and Migraine Patients) holds for migraine patients and care partners to learn, network, and bond.

The in-person portion is in a different part of the United States every year and usually lasts for three days and has about 300 participants. I attended the 2022 event in April in Charlotte, NC.

Why participate?

Why would someone take time off to go hang out with people with the same medical condition?

Not all self-care looks like a traditional vacation. RetreatMigraine offers a chance to super load your migraine knowledge, networking, and connections in a few days.

Learning and networking

I learned empowering information to take home for self-care and medical care. One of the highlights was a hands-on experience trying wearable migraine devices including the Nerivio, Cephaly, GammaCore, and Relivion. I am now using the Nerivio device at home.

I also got to attend lectures from top physicians and patient advocates such as Dr. Phil Young, Dr. Jelena Pavlovic, Dr. Alex Mauskop, The Migraine Diva (Jaime Sanders), Yoga for Migraine teacher Adriane Dellorco, and the Dizzy Cook (Alicia Wolf). It’s nice to see there are passionate and caring doctors, advocates, and community members out there.

We know how to party — migraine style

There were also times to socialize and be silly such as a pajama party, a dance class, meals, walks, focus groups, and plenty of purple hair, jewelry, and clothing!

A hybrid event

Though it’s an in-person event, many also joined online. I can’t speak for attending the virtual experience, but I was able to watch replays of sessions I missed. The replays I saw had good sound and visual quality.

I made life-long friends

There was no one there who didn’t “get me.” When I paused to search for a word or when I needed to take time out to rest, everyone understood. Our age, gender, race, hometown, and even migraine experiences were all different, but we all understood each other.

So when I come away from RetreatMigraine, I’m empowered with more knowledge and also with the smiling faces of my new friends.

We'd love to hear your experiences, too!

Have you attended a previous RetreatMigraine, either virtually or in person? Or have you attended another migraine or health-related conference? How was your experience? Comment below!