Day 1 Migraines

My name is Colin and I have suffered with migraines for over 10 years.

I started getting headaches in high school. A few times a year during university I would have a migraine that would leave me suffering without relief in bed. Once finishing school and moving on to a full-time career as a music educator in public schools is when my migraines really became chronic.

Like your other patients, I tried everything, here is a few (pain killers, triptans, botox, beta-blockers, anti-seizure, anti-depressants) Just last year my neurologist said I've tried everything and that she could not do anything else. I even had a year of self-injecting myself while on a trial of Amovig. Nothing slowed down the pain.

The mindbody connection occurred to me a few years back when I read Dr. Sarno's Healing Back Pain. I read the book, very hopeful and felt relief for a week or so... this occurs with most treatments as I'm hopeful it will help.

People told me I live in the migraine capital of Canada, Calgary, as it's barometric pressure is shifting all the time. But I didn't want to move as my life is now here.

So I tried Curable, at least three separate times and after each time I gave up after a month of so. When I had an attack or several I simply felt hopeless, depression would creep in and I'd give up.

My mental health is important and I've seen a therapist off and on for years.

As I write this I came to a breaking point with the pain, a year with covid, teaching with a mask, on a cart next to impossible. I broke down and am now on a medical leave.

I'm back on with Curable and listening to all your Hope for Healing episodes. I can't afford groups but your resources have been so helpful. I'm not going to give up this time and it gives peace of mind that your past patients still have pain from time to time and can manage it with their tools.

My tool kit is growing, I have a meditation practice, use self-compassion and other techniques in the MB approach.

My success has started to show, two times this week I've felt the storm approaching and have managed to avoid a full attack through talking to myself, calming the amygdala and other tools.

I'm hopeful that I'm going to get better. Recovery is not a straight line, of that I know now. I also have a supportive partner who is helping me with all this and we are working on our stress together.

I love my career and life, but my stressors are through the roof right now and I'm working hard to develop tools to help combat this rather than just giving up and moving back to my parents' house. I'm learning to see my stress as that grain of salt a calm may get that creates great irritation and it can't get rid of it. I'm using this analogy to help me see that stress is a part of life and along with pain, a great communicator and I need to embrace it to find that pearl.

It felt good to write my story down if it is read or not. I have a less comfortable sensation as we speak, but I'm not resisting, I will work with it and learn too not be so afraid of it.

 

Welcome to the forum, Colin, and welcome back to the work.

This is the key. And I'll be the first to admit that it's not easy, because our brains are so highly motivated to keep us focused on the negative, from a misguided attempt to keep us "safe". Talking back and overcoming that negativity will lead to success. And how wonderful to have a supportive partner!

Keep up the good work and keep posting!

~Jan

 

Hydration is often overlooked, as is not having too much boring/busywork. If we don't make time for the things that are important to us, it's easy to get sucked into overthinking instead.