Migraine and a toxic boyfriend. Are they the same?
I have been suffering from migraine for as long as I can remember. In fact, this chronic headache has been around for longer than most of my friends, and some of my younger family members.
To be completely honest, from observing my own suffering and the perils of others around me, I have come to the conclusion that having chronic migraine is really not that different from being in a somewhat toxic relationship.
Migraine is a volatile partner, just like your trusted partner
Just as a thoughtless word or careless action may ignite a row with a lover, migraine brandishes its sharp talons at the slightest inconvenience.
A couple minutes spent under the sunlight, the overpowering scent of someone's perfume in an enclosed space, or even the weight of your own hair tied in a ponytail – it is difficult to predict which one from this assortment of triggers may become the cause of incapacitation later in the day.
May isolate you from the rest of humanity
It has caused a great many instances of strife within my own friend circle. They are not to blame, it is but a natural reaction to the elaborately made plans cancelled at the last minute, or the several unanswered calls at a moment of need.
Sometimes, my trusted partner even gives into fits of jealousy, unable to tolerate the idea of me having a pleasant time laughing boisterously with some friends.
You think you can let it go
Everyone around me always suggests ways I can be free from these shackles, without experiencing the futilities of their own advice. Alas, despite the tribulations brought upon by this one-sided and undesirable relationship, it appears our bond is stronger than any material found on earth.
I have exhausted every home remedy, fallen back upon my trusty prescription medicines, sung "Will Ye Go Lassie Go" out loud, all to send my lover away. Yet, my faithful old migraine refuses to part from me, bound to me through the sort of commitment many exhausted hearts have given up on seeking in this century.
Migraine is temperamental
Sometimes, it exudes an aura that it will unleash its wrath upon me soon, causing me to walk on eggshells the entire day. It leads to wearing sunglasses indoors, signalling everyone around me to lower their voices, carrying an umbrella even when the sun's rays are softened by the light. All this effort goes in vain in the end, when the ever-familiar headache blesses me with its presence.
There is much resentment between us. I would have been more than happy without the occasional attacks of headaches, and I'm sure the ungodly number of painkillers I take cannot be pleasant for my migraine as well (or my internal organs, for that matter). However, at the end of the day, when I can stride out of classes and skip out on family functions and plans, it's almost impossible to not be fond of the always reliable excuse.
At the end of the day, it would be a shame not to acknowledge and accept the torturous longevity of this bond.
Zabin Tazrin Nashita is once again asking for you to stop abusing your car horns when stuck in traffic. You can present your defence at zabintn@gmail.com
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