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Migraine headache: What helps you cope?
Chronic Pain | Last Active: Jan 13, 2023 | Replies (139)Comment receiving replies
Thanks, nope I'm not currently dealing with pain. I have a history of migraines that ended as mysteriously as they began. The headache specialist that I saw for the at Mass General in Boston told me that science, at that time, didn't know what started them but that the person then usually had them forever. Glad that he was wrong! Though I occasionally get optic migraines, according to my ophthalmologist, and the are bizarre. But infrequently develop into a full-blown sensory-overliad throbbed.
The article resonated with me from when I had a bad back injury which resulted in four herniated discs. A pri football player told me about not overthinking pain as that could just increase awareness (which is fine) and a kind of hypertense body (which is counter-productive). He also Saud to be careful not to personalize it, to try to say the, instead of my, pain. Those two suggestions helped a lot and reminded me of your first point about pain. Also a TENS unit helped, maybe only as a security blanket though.
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@callalloo Wow, interesting that a medical professional back then said such a thing about migraines "usually staying with someone forever". That is also a counter-productive statement to plant in someone's mind. Kudos for your mysterious migraines ending and proving that theory wrong. My mom experiences ocular migraines and she also says they are bizarre, and scary.
No matter the type of migraine or other chronic symptoms, such as your back example, the pro-football player was right about not overthinking pain and not to personalize it. These are cognitive errors and can be corrected with a little work. I learned about the following cognitive errors:
- over-generalizing
- personalizing
- filtering
- catastrophizing
Research shows that CBT can help chronic physical conditions. A CBT tool that helps me is to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts aka "catch and correct". Similar to stopping pain behaviors, by not announcing pain, touching pain, thinking about pain. The more this behavior is practiced, the more it becomes habitual. The goal is to not access your pain pathways and breath more life into problems. Cut off the fuel lines, so to speak.
It was nice chatting with you. Thanks again for bringing valuable information to the migraine conversation. I am very pleased you are doing well and am appreciative of your contributions. I hope members pick up tools along the way to help themselves cope and find continued strategies for combating migraine symptoms. Wishing you well!