self help
Take Relief into Your Own Hands
Knowledge is Power
If you want to take control of migraine disease , you need to become an active participant in your care .
BOOK REVIEW : Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches , By Teri Robert
By Allison Bratnick
I
N GENERAL , PEOPLE ARE THE SUM TOTAL of their life experience . Patient advocate Teri Robert has used her wealth of experience living with migraine disease — from being accused of partying too much in college to being dismissed by doctor after doctor — to forge a valuable tool that can help other sufferers .
Robert ’ s excellent and immersive guidebook , Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches : What Your Doctor Doesn ’ t Tell You … That You Need to Know , is an easy-to-read , comprehensive resource for anyone suffering from head pain — and the family members and friends who are trying to understand them . Robert , a patient advocate and migraine sufferer herself , writes directly from the heart , and her stories connect with readers because she has gone through the same painful experiences . She opens the book by sharing anecdotes from her lifelong battle with migraine disease and the struggles she ’ s had finding good — or even adequate , non-dismissive — treatment . Her accumulated knowledge will help other people living with pain avoid the challenges she faced .
Migraine is not “ just a headache ,” and this is not just another headache book . It might be better described as a migraineur ’ s toolkit or workbook . Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches covers everything you need to know to take control of your condition , including migraine and headache basics , treatments , medications , triggers , alternative therapies and medical risks . Robert also delves into new research , discusses how to find a headache specialist and covers patient rights .
Unlike many other migraine books that espouse a specific philosophy ( try X , Y and Z and you ’ ll feel better !), Robert takes a more realistic and practical approach . She stresses that there is no cure-all for migraine disease . Instead , she takes a holistic view that incorporates lifestyle changes , medication , patient education and alternative therapies . Speaking from more than 40 years of experience , Robert urges readers not to let migraine take control of their lives and to become active participants on their health care team .
Robert ’ s philosophy is that migraine and headache patients are ultimately responsible for their own health , so they must take responsibility for their care . She preaches a message of empowerment : You do not have to accept the pain . You can do something about your condition . The more you educate yourself about your disease , the better you will be at managing it .
There is also a permanent website for the book , www . helpforheadaches . com , with supplemental materials that
20 HEAD WISE | Volume 1 , Issue 2 • 2011