No I’m Not Making An Excuse To Get Out Of Work Just ‘Coz You Can’t SEE My Migraine

Migraine is an invisible illness, and the triggers are everywhere in our daily life, unavoidable. It’s unfair to be judgemental.

Me in office: “My head hurts.”

My colleague (winking): “What? Just now you were laughing and joking. Excuse to go home early huh?”

An invisible illness

Yeah. That’s how the pain of migraine is misunderstood by people around you. One minute you’re normal and the very next minute you’re in excruciating pain. The unpredictable episode and the burden of living with the crippling headache is severe beyond imagination, but people who thankfully do not have it, will not understand it ever. Why? Because it’s invisible.

I wake up all of a sudden from a night of sleep with a bad headache. Many a time my baby’s routine depends on my migraine attack.

I cancel plans last minute only to have people doubt if I was really interested or was I just making an excuse. Only the one with migraine knows how killing and uncontrollable it is.

Triggers are everywhere

Light, sound, smell, cold, heat, crowd, different foods, stress, lack of sleep, oversleeping, hormonal changes, metabolism – they’re all triggers.

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There will be people telling you that you need to change your lifestyle because it’s all your fault. I mean really? That makes me feel even sicker.

Someone suggested I must exercise. I exercised and got an attack! The pain lasts for hours and even days. When it finally subsides, I feel like the happiest person.

The pain is killing

You will also be told not to take those ‘over the counter pills’, but is there an alternative? If I don’t, the pain will surely kill me.

Nausea, tingling sensation all over, throbbing pain, and the aura will make you feel as if your soul is leaving your body.

Know your body, look out for triggers. That’s what has helped me a bit.

There is no cure for this enduring pain. Living with migraine is a daily challenge. Just imagine the feeling of helplessness when your daily activities are interrupted leaving you disabled.

A little support and empathy matters.

Image source: shutterstock

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