Why Having a Support System Is Important
Waking up with a migraine made migraine management the priority on my to-do list. I had obligations to meet, so I had to take a triptan tablet and keep going. The medicine kicked in and worked its magic while Mom and I waited in her cardiologist’s exam room. Thank goodness triptans are so effective for me.
I popped into the grocery store for a few items after getting Mom back to her apartment. My thoughts moved ahead to the next items on the list, like writing a blog and catching up on laundry. I was good at tuning out the world when I started attacking a lengthy to-do list. One of my second cousins walked into the store while I was walking out. I looked up from my own agenda just in time to notice her.
We’ve only spoken in person with each other a couple of times, but it felt like we knew each other well. We both have migraine disease. We discovered our painful connection on social media and reached out a caring emoji to each other when times were difficult. I inherited episodic migraines from my dad’s side of the family. My cousin developed chronic migraines later in life. Her situation was much worse than mine, and my heart went out to her.
She had a good support system, and so did I. That was important. Very important. We knew a migraine attack seemed isolating and solo on the surface, but in fact rippled out to impact everyone around us – work, family, and friends. We talked for a minute or two about how hard it was to keep going to work, to be responsible for loved ones, and to live a life while in the throes of a migraine episode.
It didn’t change the pain, the nausea, or the sensitivity to light and sound, but connecting with someone who understood made a difference. That was what support systems did best. They shouldered some of the weight with you, so the illness felt lighter. Even when there wasn’t much anyone else could do, support systems brought hope to something dismal.
Sure, there were times when we loved nothing more than a dark, quiet room to medicate ourselves and recuperate alone. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, even when you’d rather be pain-free, lying on a beach with a pina colada in your hand. Whenever I got too bogged down in migraine’s isolation, though, it helped to peek into my migraine Facebook group or read through some migraine blogs here on WebMD.com. Opening my eyes to the migraine community reminded me I had support, and lots of it.
I was glad I looked up in time to see my cousin, and we took a few minutes to let each other know we saw the other’s silent illness. I was never much of a hugger, but it seemed right to end our visit with a sincere hug. I felt her strength in that hug. I hoped she felt mine. Community support brightened the day and gave me hope to face my illness.
Originally published at WebMD.com on 3-31-25.
