The Migraine Diva: Migraine & Headache Awareness Month #6

Our challenge prompt today is:

Linus Pauling said, “The best way to get a good idea, is to get lots of ideas.”

Help us brainstorm ways to create awareness locally, regionally, nationally and globally.

Finding ways to raise awareness about Migraine and Headache disorders on the local, regional, national and global levels should be a fun and creative process. Forgive me if my ideas are not very thought out or expansive. For the past week, I have probably gotten a total of 20 hours of sleep, if even that much. Hence, yesterday's blog challenge being posted today. My brain is exhausted and is not working at full capacity. So, today's post will most likely be on the short and sweet side. All I could think of involved the local, regional and national levels only. I hope to be able to come up with a few ideas on the global front to share in the near future.

Local/Regional

Everyone can contribute to the cause in their very own hometowns, cities and neighborhoods. One great resource for chronic pain patients is the U.S. Pain Foundation. Contact them to get in touch with your local Pain Ambassador (or sign up to become one for your state/region). He or she can help you set up a table at your neurologist, neurosurgeon, Migraine specialist, pain management, or primary care doctor's office and share materials that educate, support and inform pain patients and medical staffs. Contact Migraine and Headache organizations to see if they will donate materials for you to share.
Organize a walk in your neighborhood to help raise awareness.
If you are a crafter, consider doing a small fundraiser selling your crafts and donating all or a portion of the profits to the Migraine Research Foundation. All funds received by MRF go directly to recipients needing grants for Migraine research!
Contact your State Representative or Senator and try to get him or her on board to raise awareness and improve health care standards for Migraine and Headache Disorders in your state. Also, try to get your city or state to recognize the month of September as Pain Awareness Month. (The U.S. Pain Foundation is a great resource to help you with both.)
Start a support group if you know of other Migraine and/or Headache disorder patients in your neighborhood or doctor's offices. It doesn't have to be a physical gathering. Skype and ooVoo are great free ways to connect online.

National

If you can, attend the Annual Patient Conference held by the American Headache & Migraine Association (only AHMA members can attend; yearly membership costs only $15). Encourage others to attend, including family members and close friends who support you, your health and your cause.
Attend Headache on the Hill. It is an annual event that takes place on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This event is the perfect opportunity to get the attention of the people we put into office and explain the burden of living with Migraine and other Headache disorders, the need for better treatment options, and how more more federal funding is needed for research.. Represent your state and take a meeting with your Representative(s) and Senator(s). Information about this year's HOH event, which took place in February, can be found here.