Headaches and the Mind/Body Connection
Many years ago I started experiencing migraines and cluster headaches. These headaches led me to the hospital ER more times than I wish to remember. Most often I would get a shot of Demerol and Phenergan and I would go home and sleep it off. This usually ended the episode.
One time during a cluster, the headaches wouldn’t go away and the neurologist decided to admit me to the hospital in order to treat me more aggressively. While there, I was injected with ergotamines and pain medications. After a couple days, the meds were regulated and my headaches seemed under control so the doctor came in and told me I was ready for discharge.Within an hour from that conversation, I began to experience the aura of a pending migraine. I immediately rang for the doctor hoping she was still on the unit. I became very anxious and upset at the thought of leaving with the same problem I had been admitted for. I felt so defeated.
Shortly after I rang, the doctor came into my room and sat on the side of my bed. She reviewed my course of treatment and my response to the meds. And she then started asking me about my home environment. We talked about family and we talked about relationships. After discussing some painful issues with her, she told me she felt the onset of my headache was directly related to the news of my discharge home. Up to this point I had never seen a link between my home and emotional environment and the headaches I had. But I soon realized it was key to my situation and if I was going to begin feeling better physically I would have to look at the problems and address them.
During the next few weeks, I did a lot of soul searching. And I learned a great deal about myself. One thing I realized was that when a person hears something long enough, they can begin to believe it is true. The first step in my healing was to realize it was not. I realized I didn't deserve to be treated as I had been. It was difficult at first but I began asserting myself. Slowly I began to see myself as a loveable person. Soon I began feeling less like a victim.
I realized I needed to take control of these headaches and not let the headaches control me. And I could see that in order to do this, I would need to make decisions about my life. I began to set boundaries and limits on what I would and would not tolerate in my life. If a person displayed verbal abuse I would stand up and stop the conversation and state that I would not be a part of it. If someone wanted to talk to me they would have to treat me with respect.
During the next few months, my family was quite surprised by the changes that had come over me. And to my amazement I had realized just how much the way I felt emotionally effected the way I felt physically. I began to study earnestly about all types of topics related to headaches, pain, and stress. I started attending conferences and my interest continued to grow...I realized the intensity of pain was not a reliable indicator of the seriousness of a condition. And I thanked God! I began to feel less afraid of my pain. The more I learned about headaches and pain, the less I feared about them. I believe this decrease in anxiety led to a decrease in headaches and pain. Becoming less emotional about and more objective during episodes enabled me to maintain better overall control.
Having a healthy attitude helps me a great deal when I am suffering from painful conditions. Now I am able to accept the fact I will probably have headaches from time to time for the rest of my life. I know that when they occur, I can use a variety of skills and techniques I have learned to ease my pain and I also have medications I can take. I may or may not need to lay down or rest with an episode and that is ok. If I have to, I will take necessary steps in order to do so. I realize and accept the fact my pain may not be resolved 100% during some episodes and that is o.k. I know it will eventually subside. My goal is to be functional if not pain free. That-I can live with! Indie
Related Topics: What is a Migraine? Managing Stress
One time during a cluster, the headaches wouldn’t go away and the neurologist decided to admit me to the hospital in order to treat me more aggressively. While there, I was injected with ergotamines and pain medications. After a couple days, the meds were regulated and my headaches seemed under control so the doctor came in and told me I was ready for discharge.Within an hour from that conversation, I began to experience the aura of a pending migraine. I immediately rang for the doctor hoping she was still on the unit. I became very anxious and upset at the thought of leaving with the same problem I had been admitted for. I felt so defeated.
Shortly after I rang, the doctor came into my room and sat on the side of my bed. She reviewed my course of treatment and my response to the meds. And she then started asking me about my home environment. We talked about family and we talked about relationships. After discussing some painful issues with her, she told me she felt the onset of my headache was directly related to the news of my discharge home. Up to this point I had never seen a link between my home and emotional environment and the headaches I had. But I soon realized it was key to my situation and if I was going to begin feeling better physically I would have to look at the problems and address them.
During the next few weeks, I did a lot of soul searching. And I learned a great deal about myself. One thing I realized was that when a person hears something long enough, they can begin to believe it is true. The first step in my healing was to realize it was not. I realized I didn't deserve to be treated as I had been. It was difficult at first but I began asserting myself. Slowly I began to see myself as a loveable person. Soon I began feeling less like a victim.
I realized I needed to take control of these headaches and not let the headaches control me. And I could see that in order to do this, I would need to make decisions about my life. I began to set boundaries and limits on what I would and would not tolerate in my life. If a person displayed verbal abuse I would stand up and stop the conversation and state that I would not be a part of it. If someone wanted to talk to me they would have to treat me with respect.
During the next few months, my family was quite surprised by the changes that had come over me. And to my amazement I had realized just how much the way I felt emotionally effected the way I felt physically. I began to study earnestly about all types of topics related to headaches, pain, and stress. I started attending conferences and my interest continued to grow...I realized the intensity of pain was not a reliable indicator of the seriousness of a condition. And I thanked God! I began to feel less afraid of my pain. The more I learned about headaches and pain, the less I feared about them. I believe this decrease in anxiety led to a decrease in headaches and pain. Becoming less emotional about and more objective during episodes enabled me to maintain better overall control.
Having a healthy attitude helps me a great deal when I am suffering from painful conditions. Now I am able to accept the fact I will probably have headaches from time to time for the rest of my life. I know that when they occur, I can use a variety of skills and techniques I have learned to ease my pain and I also have medications I can take. I may or may not need to lay down or rest with an episode and that is ok. If I have to, I will take necessary steps in order to do so. I realize and accept the fact my pain may not be resolved 100% during some episodes and that is o.k. I know it will eventually subside. My goal is to be functional if not pain free. That-I can live with! Indie
Related Topics: What is a Migraine? Managing Stress
1 Comments:
Thank you for your story, it has really made me think.
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