The Toll of Migraine on Relationships
No, we really do not want to cancel plans. But when a migraine attack hits, sometimes we have to.
Migraine has a way of sneaking into almost every aspect of our lives, stealing moments and memories from us. And it can wreak havoc on our relationships, too.
Work. Dating. Family. Friends. We asked our Migraine.com community which relationship is the hardest to manage when living with migraine. Here is what they told us.
Workplace woes
When migraine strikes at work, everything seems more difficult. Sitting through meetings. Reading emails. Talking with coworkers. And everything seems to make our migraine worse. The lights. The sounds. The smell of someone’s perfume (or lunch!). Getting through the day is a Herculean effort.
Migraine is often misunderstood – and minimized – by those who do not get them. That means if coworkers or bosses never experienced one, they might not be clued into what we are going through.
Talking to our employers about migraine can bring a whole new set of challenges. Will they understand? Will telling them impact our career? When a migraine pops up, our productivity may go down. And then we may get down on ourselves. One thing that could help? Remembering that our productivity does not equal our self-worth.
“I can’t count the number of times I have tried to explain migraine to coworkers and supervisors. It simply goes in one ear and right out the other.”
– Migraine.com Community MemberRomance and migraine
Regardless if you are married or dating, migraine can often feel like a third wheel in relationships.
Balancing our needs with the needs of our significant other can weigh heavily on us. From changing plans to asking our partner to pitch in when we are in pain, migraine can put a strain on our love life. But there are ways to lessen its impact.
“My boyfriend broke up with me because he couldn’t handle that I've had an increase in migraine and cluster headaches.”
– Migraine.com Community MemberFamily matters
A migraine is tough any day of the week. Now imagine being a parent AND having a migraine. Caring for our kids when we are suffering ourselves can be incredibly overwhelming.
We do our best to be there for our kids and give them everything they need. But when migraine hits, we can sometimes feel like we fall short in this area.
The first thing to remember? Migraine does not make us a bad parent. Yes, we may have to slow down at times or be selective with what we say yes to. But that does not define us or our ability to be a supportive, loving parent. Having a coping plan in place can make all the difference when caring for our family and kids.
“It is hard being a mom and having migraine.”
– Migraine.com Community MemberManaging migraine in relationships
Not everyone will truly “get” migraine and what we go through, especially if they have never experienced one before. But by helping others understand just how much this invisible illness impacts us, we can work together to prevent migraine from coming between us and our relationships.