When I had migraines I had many triggers due to conditioning--e.g. changes in barometric pressure, changes in my hormones due to my menstrual cycle, and social anxiety, as well as some emotional triggers. There were no structural reasons for these conditions to produce a migraine. Once I believed that, I was able to tell myself this whenever the very first indications that a migraine was coming on. I found "talking to my brain" very helpful. As soon as I felt those first twinges I'd say "Stop it brain! There is no logical reason for (x trigger) to be causing a headache. So just stop.You're fine. Nothing is wrong." Sounds too simple to work and I initially felt silly doing it. But it worked! And everytime! Eventually I stopped getting the twinges and have been migraine free for years now after having them since 4 years old. You can read my success story on my profile or in the success stories sub-forum.
Belief that the triggers are conditioned (learned, associative) response and not due to some structural process in the body is key in my opinion.
Journaling helped me find the triggers. It's a great tool for finding patterns and associations.
Best wishes.......
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Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/Dismiss Notice
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Our TMS drop-in chat is tomorrow (Saturday) from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern (US Daylight Time). It's a great way to get quick and interactive peer support, with Bonnard as your host. Look for the red Chat flag on top of the menu bar!
