stigma Archives | Tammy Rome, LPC

Ruling comorbidities, side effects, and stigma

by Tammy RomeJune 11, 2016 Chronic Pain0 comments

So, like so many people living with fibromyalgia, I take my medicine, gain weight, try to exercise, feel more pain, take more medicine…and all I have to show for it is ever-increasing readout on my scale…If I could special-order my next preventive, I would have only one request..

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Abandoned in my hour of need

by Tammy RomeApril 27, 2015 Migraine0 comments

You were witness to the early onset of Cluster Headache attacks. Doctors didn’t know how to help and the Emergency Room was even worse. I was frightened, thinking the attacks might kill me. Our children were small and just as scared. My husband stood by me, helpless to relieve my agony, angry that no one else could help either. You did nothing.

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5 things migraineurs do that perpetuate stigma

by Tammy RomeFebruary 23, 2015 Migraine0 comments

We talk about it. We complain about it. We blame doctors, the media, bosses, loved ones. But sometimes we bring it on ourselves or dump it on each other. There’s no doubt that we all face stigma. Yet like victims of abuse, sometimes we take our frustrations out by hurting others.

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Angels unaware

by Tammy RomeJanuary 31, 2015 Inspiration, Migraine, Self-Care0 comments

On a fall morning about 25 years ago I woke with a head-splitting migraine attack. Alone and scared, the only medicines available were Tylenol or Advil. I tried my best to get by with naps and cold wash cloths, but the attack was spinning out of control. Panic was setting in quickly. Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitialPhotos.net Then there was a knock on the...

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Ignorance, misinformation, and stigma

by Tammy RomeJanuary 23, 2015 Advocacy, Migraine0 comments

Dear Migraineurs, Don’t you just hate it when someone who has obviously never had a migraine says, “Oh, I get those too”? It really gets on your nerves, doesn’t it? You wish they would get a nasty one just once so they would shut up and stop offering you Tylenol. I get it. I get annoyed, too. But my annoyance isn’t with healthy people. It’s with migraineurs...

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Five things everyone should know about migraine

by Tammy RomeJanuary 5, 2015 Migraine2 comments

#1 – Migraine is not “a bad headache”. Even migraineurs themselves make this mistake by only counting really bad headaches as migraines. The truth is a lot more complicated. Since migraine is a genetic neurological disorder, it is always present. Someone with epilepsy, MS, or Parkinsons never stops having that disorder. These patients may have symptoms that flare up from...

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Celebrities face stigma, too

by Tammy RomeSeptember 15, 2014 Advocacy0 comments

With so many celebrities living with migraine, why is there still such stigma? Typically, when people with power and money face a stigmatizing condition, they speak up. As a result, the disease gets more public attention, is better understood, and gets more funding for research. Why hasn’t that happened with migraine? When Michelle Bachmann ran for president, it was revealed that she had...

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Learning from the master

by Tammy RomeAugust 25, 2014 Mental Health, Migraine1 comment

Never underestimate the power you have over the lives of others. Everything you do, say, and write – it all matters.

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Burnout – Getting sick of all the pills

by Tammy RomeAugust 14, 2014 Migraine, Self-Care1 comment

Forgetting to take your medicine is an early sign of burnout.

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Life with chronic illness

by Tammy RomeAugust 5, 2014 Chronic Pain, Suicide Prevention1 comment

Having a chronic illness makes it difficult to feel hopeful. It’s easier to feel depressed and anxious, too. But it’s not always like that for everyone.

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Welcome to my world

by Tammy RomeJune 30, 2014 Migraine0 comments

There is a side of my world that you do not know. I have a fantastic point of view. In a perfect world, you would envy my world and revere migraineurs.

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