New schedules. New sleep patterns. New stresses.
That’s what kids and teens are experiencing as they go back to school — but parents feel the strain, too. The transition is especially tough on parents living with migraine. That’s because migraine hates change, as many people say, and the back-to-school season is nothing but change.
Here’s our best advice for managing migraine during this intense time of year.
Cut yourself some slack.
Let’s face it: parenting with migraine is hard. The large CaMEO study found that many people felt they would be better parents without migraine headaches: 58% of parents with high-frequency episodic migraine and 71.7% of those with chronic migraine felt that way.
“Migraine, and especially [chronic migraine], is a debilitating chronic disease that can affect many aspects of family life, including roles, responsibilities, relationships, and communication,” the CaMEO researchers found.
Don’t compare yourself to other parents. Don’t waste time wishing things were different. Just be the best parent you can be.
Be selective about your back-to-school activities.
As soon as the school year begins, the PTA and team emails start flying. You’re asked to volunteer at events, participate in fundraisers, and help out at games. While these efforts are important, know that it’s OK to say no.
Approximately half of people with migraine reported reduced participation in family activities one or more times in the past month, the CaMEO study found. Save your energy — and your headache-free days — for the activities that matter most to you and your kids.
Seek treatment for your anxiety.
Many parents experience some worry and stress as they send children back to school. “People with migraines are more likely to have anxiety and depression,” according to WebMD. “When you have all three, it usually starts with anxiety, then migraines kick in, and then depression shows up.”
If anxiety is affecting your every waking moment — and resulting in back-to-school migraine attacks — then it’s time to do something about it. Talk to your healthcare provider about a treatment plan, which might include medication and/or therapy.
Expand your support network.
Just as your kids are branching out and making new friends, you can do the same. The back-to-school season is a great time to connect with other parents — at the bus stop, on the bleachers, or in online communities. Among those parents, you may find some new migraine allies who understand what you’re dealing with and can step in to help when you need it.
Rethink your migraine treatment plan.
While the back-to-school season can be supremely stressful, it’s also a time of growth and renewal. You may have a little more time in your day to rest, reflect and get back to YOU. Ask yourself: Is your migraine treatment routine working? Are your migraines getting worse, or better?
If you’re not sure, then you should start tracking your triggers, symptoms and treatments with the CeCe Migraine Management app from CEFALY Technology. CeCe’s simple, intuitive interface makes it easy to record migraine data in real time, then generate reports so you can identify patterns and trends.
CeCe also syncs with the Bluetooth-enabled CEFALY Connected, so you can monitor your CEFALY sessions in real time, optimize your treatments, and track your progress over time. CEFALY is clinically proven to relieve migraine pain and reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, with minimal side effects and no prescription required!
