Migraine Awareness Tip #3

June is migraine awareness month. To raise awareness in my own community I've decided to send 7 tips, one each day for one week to do my part in raising awareness within us.

I am not going to cover medication and technical stuff this week. I will just share some tips that work for me for surviving chronic migraines.

We are so lucky to have people out there advocating for us, on our behalf, so we can spend more time becoming more aware of our own migraine triggers and find better ways to alleviate our pain.

Holly's Helpful Tips for Migraine Awareness

Tip # 1 was to know your body so well, that the most subtle clue of sensation will alert you to the fact that another migraine is on its way. Then you must know what to do to stop the pain as much as possible. This leads onto Tip # 2 Developing a Pain Management Strategy.

Tip 3 comes from my own personal experience - Don't Live in Denial. For years I believed, as I was told, that migraines were just psychosomatic. A problem brought on by my way of thinking. Recently I watched a TED talk by Stella Young on disabilities, and she said "no matter how much I smile at the flight of stairs, they never turn into a ramp."

You might like to watch it too: I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much

So what I am suggesting is really acknowledging that you have a long term chronic illness. Now I know this is difficult and that most people will say to think positive. Thinking and staying positive is important too, but at some point you just have to be real in order to treat the condition you have to the best of your ability. NOW is better than later.

It is hard to accept this fact, I know. It took me over 14 years to get it. To really get that this is something I would have to learn to manage forever. Every-time I was migraine free for 10 days I would think I was cured, and then whammo another would strike. The disappointment and disbelief took its toll on me.

Learning to say "hello" to your sensations and your migraine attacks is key in surviving chronic migraine. I have found using focusing therapy to be the most effective way to do this.

You might like to read:

Migraines and Emotions that explains this therapy in more detail.

How have you learned to find acceptance of your condition? We love to hear from you in our Facebook comment box.

Remember that your contribution will help others too! We are not in this alone, even though it feels like it most of the time. Our stories and input can help each other. For example, I heard about Naramig from a Shiatsu patient of mine, not my doctor or any of the specialists I had seen! Two years after triptans came on the market. Two years of needless suffering.

This is a safe place to share your challenges and tell your story to people who truly understand what you are going through. Feel free to share your art to inspire us all in our time of need and find solutions with new treatment ideas specific to migraine disease. Get some professional health advice from others that walk this path. Just click on the links underlined above if you would like more details.

We Love to Hear From You

Please click here if you have anything you want to share with us this month in our Facebook comments box.

I don't know where I would be without my ice packs. It's the second thing I grab after my early warning symptoms tell me to take my medications. I can spend up to 10 days straight in migraine, and the ice just soothes the neck pain, eye pain, forehead pain ... Thank God for ice packs I say!

Want to build your own migraine tool kit ? Here is our article with eleven steps on exactly how to do it yourself! It has all the forms you need to print out and step by step instructions to navigate your way through effective chronic pain management.

Did you know that I offer telephone counseling around the world via Skype video or via telephone?

That's right, from the privacy and comfort of your own home you can get professional counseling from me. I am not sure if you know this about me, I have a Masters Degree in Counseling and Applied Psychotherapy (MCAP). I have been counseling people for over 16 years. I would love to be of service where I can.

I have an online booking system to make it easy to schedule a session over different time zones. So, you can contact me anytime on-line, book in 24/7, and we will talk as soon as possible.

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And before I forget!