Poetry Contest for Migraine Victims and Loved Ones

Nearly 30 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, a type of headache that is often severe and may last for hours to days. Migraines produce significant disability, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Three times more women than men suffer from migraine headaches, though at least 80 percent of individuals worldwide may experience a tension-related headache.

Writer and patient advocate Teri Robert PhD, a migraine victim since childhood, encourages sufferers to explore creative ways to express associated pain and emotion. Writing and reading the works of fellow victims "can be very therapeutic" Robert suggests. Migraine victims suffer in isolation and experience significant disability. "Migraine disease and headaches can impact our lives more than many people could ever imagine," says Robert.

Sufferers and loved ones can utilize a creative outlet for their pain through a contest Teri Robert initiated, "Putting Our Heads Together" Poetry Contest 2007. MyMigraineConnection.com and HelpForHeadaches.com will co-host the event, and qualified entries will be published on these sites on April 30^th, 2007, in recognition of National Poetry Month.

Teri Roberts, author of Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches, offers support and education as a Lead Expert on MyMigraineConnection.com. "It's my hope that these writings will also aid non-sufferers in understanding the impact of headaches and Migraine disease," said Robert.

The poetry contest is open to the public according to the contest rules:

--Subject: The subject must be headache or Migraine related, but may be metaphoric or abstract.

--Form: Rhymed, free-verse, any form of poetry, but not prose.

--Originality: Poetry must be original and written by the person submitting it.

--Unpublished: All poems must be unpublished work, never before published anywhere.

--Length: Maximum of 60 lines, no more than 80 characters per line (including spaces and punctuation).

--Limit: No more than three poems per person.

--Age: Poems written by persons under 18 years of age must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian.

--Language: "Family-friendly" language required. No profanity or other potentially offensive language.

--Citizenship: You need not be a U.S. citizen to enter. Submissions will be accepted from any country.

Migraine Poetry Contest: Fees, Due Date and Judging

No entry fee is required. MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association, will judge the entries. Deadline for submissions is April 13, 2007.

For more information or to enter the poetry contest see the HealthCentral Web site. (http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/poetry-contest.html/)

Source:
(http://www.migraines.org/)
(http://www.helpforheadaches.com/)
(http://www.terirobert.com/)
(http://www.mayoclinic.com/)