Tips for Managing Common Triggers for Vestibular Migraine Sufferers
Managing Stress: Trigger #1
First and foremost, for the wellbeing of your body and mind in general, stress has to be taken seriously when trying to create and start your healing process. I am probably one of the most stressed-out people I know and let me tell you it takes a toll on my body. I have always been a very type-A person, extremely competitive with myself and had expectations that I now look back on and see were ridiculous. I have always been independent and overall successful at what I was trying to achieve. But all of that came with EXTREMELY HIGH STRESS levels. Even when I would reach goals my mind would tell me it wasn’t enough, and I would constantly be trying to overachieve.
It took me a long time to get to a point to where I was able to control my stress better and start healing…and trust me I am still learning.
Learning to adopt a low stress lifestyle to better fit your chronic illness needs:
For me this meant A LOT of change because of who I am and my personality type. To be brutally honest I had to just plain out lower my expectations and find new goals. Accepting that my body cannot physically accomplish what it used to means having to make big changes in my future plans.
Since my career was put on hold and all I had was time I started devoting all my energy into educating myself on my conditions and learning new tools on how to cope and manage stress.
#1). Get out there and start reading… if you can
I know first and foremost that vestibular/migraine suffers have a hard time being able to read let alone look or scroll through thier phone. There were many long periods of time where I was unable to read a book or look at my phone due to migraine symptoms.
There are so many amazing tools and methods of therapy that are accessible to help manage stress. Some of my personal favorite reads included John Sarno, The Divided Mind and The Mind body Prescription a well as The Perrin Technique by Dr. Raymond Perrin.
#2). Create a physical environment for yourself that is healthy and is specific to your needs.
Because I spend more time indoors now, I have created a space for myself that allows me to be relaxed and support my limitations.
Creating a healthy environment also includes surrounding yourself with positive people and relationships. Letting go and eliminating toxic relationships or energy is imperative to healing.
The elimination of toxic relationships was pretty natural process that happened in my life. It became pretty clear quickly who was going to support me and who I was never going to hear from again. This was extremely hard from me in the beginning, but now I look at it as a blessing in disguise.
#3). Create a routine and find hobbies/fulfillment
DON’T PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF
When you are new to being chronically ill or disabled, that sometimes means having to find a new purpose in life. My routine today is COMPLETELY different than it was before I got diagnosed and that’s ok. “I don’t need to do what everyone wants me to do.” All I need to do is what I KNOW is best for me. Remember you don’t have to anticipate people’s needs, need approval for anyone, or have to explain yourself and why you live the way you do. In the beginning I felt VERY guilty and embarrassed that I was spending so much time sick in bed and not working. I felt guilty about my limitations and to be honest I felt like a loser. I spent a long time feeling really sorry for myself, and sometimes those feelings still surface.
Once I came to terms that my negativity and resentment wasn’t helping me, I knew I had to just let go of the reigns and listen to my body 100% in order for it to start healing.
Today my routine consists of:
· Adequate Sleep (at least 8 hours)- sleep is imperative for me to avoid migraine
· Cooking- being consistent with my diet as a preventative for migraine is essential for my triggers. Cooking has also become my new favorite hobby that distracts me from symptoms.
· I smoke A LOT of weed- I rely heavily on the use of Cannabis due to my high level of Ototoxicity. Cannabis has given me the ability to control my pain and protect my vestibular nerve at the same time. It’s a win win!
· Journaling
· Exercising- daily exercise is a must for me as a vestibular sufferer. It seems counterintuitive, however part of rewiring your brain and vestibular nerve means moving and doing hand eye coordination exercises every day.
· Reading- I feel like I never stop. Lol Its important to be aware of what you are reading and how you respond to it. Don’t get caught up in forums that can be toxic or negative.
· Stretching and Physical Therapy- I do PT EVERYDAY. Both Vestibular therapy and Pelvic Floor Therapy.
· Daily meditation and reflection- I will be honest I am not a huge fan of meditation; however, I do take time out of every day to do some reflecting and remember what I am grateful for.
#4). Get a good support system
Having a good support system can literally mean having ONE person that you know that you can trust and DEPEND on no matter what. That’s really all it takes.
There are a lot of sufferers out there that don’t have large families or a large pool of people that they can rely on.
I am one of those people.
I was extremely unstable in the beginning, and that had a lot to do with not having a good support system. My life had flipped upside down and everything was changing so quickly. In a short span of 2 months, I had lost my job, lost my apartment, had nowhere to live and was financially scrambling. I was constantly in and out of the hospital. I was in so much need of help from friends and family, but unfortunately it was slim pickings. Most of this was my fault for choosing who I surrounded myself with and expecting reciprocity in certain relationships. When It comes to my family, I feel they are still unable to fully grasp my situation and are still in the denial phase. A lot of that has to do with me having invisible illness. I didn’t have time to pitter patter around, so I had to take on the job myself and be my own advocate from the start!
After time I am EXTREMELY grateful and lucky to say I have a good support system now. It may be small but its solid.
Part of that good support system should also include your medical help and doctors. Establishing a good network of doctors and a team that cares can almost be impossible. I am lucky enough to have found a good team that’s working with me. It took countless appointments and specialist to finally find the right medical team for me that understands my case the best.
