Migraine Survey Results

I read each one, and I am touched by the number of us suffering with this condition in so many unseen ways. It breaks my heart, but at the same time makes me glad to be part of this community where learning resilience and is important.

The top 3 biggest struggles were:

• Pain management 28%;

• inability to function 27.1%; and

• inability to work 27.1%.

Dealing with family and friends was 12.1%, and overwhelming emotions like anxiety and panic at 11.2% was last.

62.5% of you have developed a pain management plan with your doctor. 37.5% had not. The statistics you always see posted are half of us are getting effective treatment.

Exactly 50% of you have medications that effectively abort your attacks, so those stats are in line with the world.

And 58.5% of you use a triptan to effectively abort an attack.

The top three out of five things that you said would help are:

• Learning how to treat a migraine effectively and abort the next one if possible. 27.3%

• All of these things 23.4%

• Knowing good ways to reduce stress associated with migraines. 20.8%

And then came:

• Stopping emotions from overwhelming you before and during an attack. 13%

• Doing an interactive course to develop your own pain management plan. 11.7%

1 person said none of these things would help. I feel like that sometimes. Like I have tried everything out there and nothing has helped. Actually, not really since I found Naratriptan that stops my pain phase. But before that, I tried every alternative therapy I came across that claimed to help reduce migraine attacks.

The struggles you listed that I missed were (no names here, to remain anonymous):

• Anger, I always feel angry before an attack. I hate my migraines.

• The chronic dizziness.

• Feeling like the migraines constantly steal my life away. Friends get tired of me bowing out of plans so they stop asking. It's very depressing when migraines themselves cause exhaustion and depression, as well as the meds doing the same. It's extremely difficult all around to deal with. Physically, yes, but definitely emotionally, just as much if not more.

• Explaining to professionals why I cannot keep appointments when I have a migraine (at the last minute, of course). There is still such a misconception that a migraine is "just a headache."

• Daily migraines.

• I've been able to make huge changes with meditation and dietary (gluten free) changes. I still get migraines but less intense and less frequent.

Now from the 11.7% which seemed least helpful of those 5 things, 88.9% of you said you would be interested in testing out a free course to help take charge of your migraines.

My books and courses are in the pipeline so I will keep you updated on availability.

It sounds like I can help.

If there is anything else you’d like to add, please just hit reply to this email.

Stay pain free, and talk to you soon.

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