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Advocacy
Advocacy is how you get what you need.
From the doctor’s office to the workplace to the people in your life, knowing migraine and knowing how to advocate is the difference between accepting what you’re given and getting what you actually deserve.
Most conversations about advocacy focus on the big picture: reducing stigma, funding research, changing policy. All of that matters.
But there’s a more immediate reason to learn how to advocate.
Without it, doctors miss things. Employers don’t accommodate. Insurance companies deny claims. The people who love you don’t understand what you’re really going through. Research moves slowly. Policy gets written by people who’ve never had a migraine.
Advocacy isn’t only about changing the world for the next generation. It’s about getting better care, better support, and better outcomes, today, in your life.
You can’t get what you need if you can’t ask for it.
Advocacy is how you learn to ask.
What It Actually Does
What advocacy actually does.
It won’t guarantee outcomes. It will change your position in every fight that matters.
01
AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
A stronger position in the exam room.
You walk into appointments prepared instead of overwhelmed. You ask better questions, know what to push for, and recognize faster when a provider isn't right for you. Advocacy doesn't guarantee a great doctor, but it makes you much harder to dismiss, and much quicker to know when to find someone else.
01/06
How to Advocate
How to advocate.
Whatever your energy looks like today, there’s a way to do this.
Self-advocacy is the foundation. Walk in prepared with your symptom log, your treatment history, and the questions you need answered. Push back when you're dismissed. Bring someone with you to appointments if you can. Ask for what you need by name.
Quick start · Free downloadGet the free Migraine Appointment Prep GuideMigraine is a recognized disability under the ADA. You have legal protections, accommodations, time off, and job security, that most workers and most employers don't know exist. Learn what you're entitled to, build your documentation, and have the conversation on your terms.
Quick start · Free downloadGet the free Workplace Advocacy GuideThe people who love you can't support you well if they don't understand what migraine actually is. Educate the partners, parents, kids, and friends in your life. Send them the For Loved Ones guide. Have the conversations. The work pays off in every relationship you have.
Quick start · 1-click shareShare the For Loved Ones page with one person this weekYour story is your power. Share it where it lands, on social media, in support groups, on a personal blog, in comment sections. Migraine has a stigma problem because people with migraine have been silent. Every story you share chips away at that.
Quick start · HashtagUse #MigraineNetwork on social to be part of the community conversationShow up for Migraine Awareness Month every June. Contact your representatives. Join Headache on the Hill. Become part of The Migraine Network Community, our public-facing program for patients who want to lead this work in their own communities.
Quick start · WaitlistJoin The Migraine Network CommunityJune
2026
Migraine Awareness Month
Every June, we get loud together.
Sharing stories, wearing awareness gear, hosting conversations, pushing policy. It’s the biggest collective advocacy moment of the year.
Join the 2026 CampaignGet Involved
Help us build what’s next.
More than sharing your story?
We’re building programs that need real people to help run them, trained support group facilitators, community moderators, and people with specialty skills we’d love to put to work. If you want to do more than read along, there’s a place for you.
Looking for the public-facing awareness program instead? Join The Migraine Network Community →
See How You Can Help