This time last year I had just been diagnosed with Chronic Migraine. I had
suffered from attacks throughout my life, but I didn’t even know that CM could
happen, I naively thought everyone with Migraine was more or less like me! It
was a little overwhelming to start reading about CM and the experiences of
others, I sank into a fairly low place as I wondered what lay ahead.
Thankfully after getting worse for a while things are well and truly getting
better now. One thing that has helped has been learning more about the
lifestyle changes I could make that would help my Migraine situation. Figuring
out my personal triggers has been empowering and an important step on the road
to recovery. Another helpful factor has been discovering the wonderfully kind
migraine community online. Social media groups such as Migraine Strong, and
the people on Instagram have been lovely and supportive, and a source of
knowledge about drugs, supplements and ideas for dealing with attacks when
they arise.
If you or someone you love has been recently diagnosed with Migraine, then
here are my suggestions for where to look as you start to learn more about
this neurological disorder.
First things first, these websites are full of incredibly helpful and reliable
information for you:
There are also very helpful websites that are run by individuals with Migraine
rather than big NGOs, they can provide a helpful personal touch along with
lots of Migraine information. My top three would be:
Sometimes it’s nice to read a book rather than browse a website. These are my
top two Migraine related books:
Heal Your Headache, by Dr David Buccholz
The Migraine Brain, by Dr Carolyn Bernstein
In particular, Heal Your Headache has been such a
great resource for me. I started following the diet and lifestyle changes
recommended by Dr Buccholz in January, and began the elimination diet
suggested in the book. It has been an interesting journey figuring out my own
personal triggers (perfume, caffeine, sleeping in and more) and trying the
supplements and lifestyle changes that can help. Joining the Migraine Strong
Facebook community has been
an invaluable guide on this journey too, I can’t recommend this group enough.
You can find more people like you online, through blogs and Instagram
accounts. On Insta I recommend following
#chronicmigraine,
#migrainelife
#migraineur to start
with. I’ve found many fellow travelers here and it helps you feel less alone
with the pain and uncertainty.
On the web there are so many helpful people writing blogs about living with
Migraine. Here are my current favourite:
-
The Dizzy Cook – an excellent resource for recipes & ideas for the Heal Your Headache diet
-
My Chronic Brain – fantastic online magazine specifically for Migraine sufferers
-
Mindful Migraine – Natalie’s blog about her journey with Migraine & Lyme
-
Beauty and the Migraine Beast – a personal blog about living with Chronic Migraine
-
Holistiq – a personal and lifestyle blog about Migraine and life
-
My Life. My Migraine. – another great personal take on Migraines and living well
-
Achy Smile – a look at life with this disease, as well as Migraine-related products
-
The Mindful Migraineur – another Mum surviving & thriving despite this disorder
-
The Counterfactual Brain – an honest and beautifully written blog about Migraine
-
The Migraine Diva – a fresh take from a Migraine advocate
-
The Migraine Life – personal blog from this UK based migraineur who also has a large Instagram following
-
My Migraine Life – a positive and upbeat personal blog about Migraine and wellness
I hope this helps as a starting point for learning more about Migraine and
connecting with other people suffering from Migraine. Reaching out and
researching combined have helped me feel confident in my approach to managing
my illness. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch via
Instagram. Feel free to share
this post with anyone else you know who suffers with Migraine if you think it
might be useful!
Leave a Reply