Birte wants to become a doctor, but her migraine attacks prevent her from thinking clearly. Robert fears his migraines could be a career killer and keeps them a secret. The film "My Head Is About to Burst: Living with Migraines," part of the "37°" series by Julia Kaulbars, tells three such stories on Tuesday, January 31, at 10:15 p.m.

Quality of life severely restricted

From the outside, migraine sufferers show no outward signs, but severe attacks with unbearable headaches, perceptual disturbances, and intense nausea can incapacitate them for days. According to the World Health Organization, migraine is among the diseases that most severely impair quality of life. Around nine million Germans suffer from this neurological disorder. But the worst part is often not the illness itself, but rather the societal prejudices.

Birte (33) from Berlin wants to become a doctor. Because she had correspondingly poor grades in school due to frequent absences, she first trained as a nurse and is now studying medicine – alongside work and family. When she has migraine attacks, she can hardly concentrate. But what burdens her most, besides her health problems, is the lack of understanding she encounters – even among medical professionals.  

Daily work life with migraines

Robert (28) from Berlin is not his real name. He wants to remain anonymous because he fears that revealing his migraines could ruin his career. He is currently on a six-month probationary basis at a renowned international auditing firm. While he is officially required to take four days of sick leave per month, he drags himself through another seven to ten days of work despite his migraines.

Melanie (50) from Munich has suffered from chronic migraines since February 2019. She had a successful career as a team leader in business development at a large, globally operating electronics company. Now she is on early retirement and has to learn to accept her serious illness.

“37°” in the ZDFmediathek: https://37grad.zdf.de . (Available in the ZDFmediathek for five years from 8 a.m.).