Migraine documentary highlights common, misunderstood and debilitating condition
Posted April 4, 2019 11:22 pm.
Last Updated April 5, 2019 12:07 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — They’re debilitating, and very common, yet they’re not treated effectively.
A new documentary centered on migraine sufferers is making its Vancouver debut this weekend. Out of My Head demonstrates how people with condition often suffer in silence.
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UBC pharmacist Jillian Reardon points out that migraines affect a billion people worldwide, with two and half million Canadians dealing with the debilitating headaches.
“We know the burden of illness is huge — this is not some rare disease, it’s extremely common. Chances are you, or you know someone very close to you that’s afflicted by it,” she says. “It’s not treated effectively. People don’t get the answers that they need.”
Reardon is part of a group that has launched Migraine Canad, a new support organization, which is presenting the documentary.
“It really sheds light on how debilitating and devastating migraine can be, and how much is really unknown about it,” she says.
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She thinks the documentary could help build a support system in Vancouver.
“What I really hope for this is that it will bring people together. Migraine can be very isolating because it is a bit of an invisible illness,” she says.
The film is showing this Sunday afternoon at the Cinamatheque in Vancouver.
