Mims Davies MP is pleased to share awareness of Migraine Awareness Week 2024 (23rd-29th September)
Migraines affect almost 10 million people nationally, and around 10,000 residents in East Grinstead, Uckfield and the villages.
Migraine Awareness Week has already been highlighted by BBC Breakfast, The Independent and around 100 local newspapers. The Migraine Trust is also proud to be launching the first migraine advertising campaign at over 200 train stations.
Migraine hurts in many ways, from physical pain to the emotional pain that often comes with living with the condition, and the pain of encountering misconceptions across society about it. New research by The Migraine Trust finds that 90% of respondents with migraine believe it is just seen as “a bad headache”, when in fact it can be detrimental to mental health and every area of life:
- 89% of respondents with migraine say their mental health has been affected as a result of the condition.
- 80% participate less in social occasions, 59% have lost confidence and 48% feel isolated.
- 49% say migraine has a negative impact on ability to work and 27% reported it had caused significant financial difficulties.
- Many expressed feelings of guilt from letting colleagues down or feared losing their job.
- While pain has one of the highest impacts on mental health, feeling guilty, worrying about the next attack and the unpredictable nature of attacks rank highly.
- 34% of our respondents said they have thoughts of suicide due to their migraine.
Despite this, so many migraine patients are facing rising waiting lists, difficulty accessing NICE-approved treatments where they live, and a lack of support in their workplaces.
A key theme throughout the research was migraine being dismissed or invalidated, with many respondents referring to migraine being mischaracterised as ‘just a headache’. When asked ‘how does migraine make you feel’, ‘anxious’ was the most common response (62%). Followed by ‘depressed’, ‘hopeless’, ‘lonely’ and ‘angry’.
Mims Davies MP said:
"I'm very pleased to be raising awareness of Migraine Awareness Week 2024 - especially given migraines affect around 10,000 of my constituents here in East Grinstead, Uckfield and the villages.
We're seeing a stark picture of the reality for many who live with migraine. It is far more than 'just a bad headache' and not being taken seriously is having a significant impact on the lives of those with the condition.
Many speak of social stigma, as well as poor understanding of migraine, and it’s clear that these are contributory factors to the wellbeing challenges faced by people living with migraine. It is essential we change the perception of migraine and increase understanding about the true impact of living with the condition.
This #MigraineAwarenessWeek, I’m standing with the 1 in 7 people who experience migraine and calling for better care and support."
