Economic woes: inadequate or ineffective Migraine treatment
The current economic trend has led to many of my online friends suddenly finding themselves in hard financial positions. When you're a Migraineur, this poses a particularly difficult challenge.
Before you become swept up in the tide of distress please, remember your health is the last thing you want to give up. Good health is a gift that should be protected and guarded. If you're a parent who gives up your health, it's likely you will not be able to protect and care for your children as they need. They depend on you. Remember what the airline stewards instruct their passengers: "When the oxygen mask comes down, put your mask on first, then help your children or others needing assistance."
For Migraineurs, this may mean several things:
**Avoid stress. While stress is (controversially) no longer considered a direct trigger to Migraine, what a person does when they are stressed often is. More Migraine attacks means that you will have lowered productivity and an increased need for expensive medications and treatments. While some people find aerobic exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation helpful, others only find relief when they turn off the barrage of news on the television and concentrate on enjoying their families. Only you can decide what will help you, but when in doubt, I always ask myself, "Is it working for you?" If the answer is "no", then I know it's time to rethink what I'm doing. In the end, I know I cannot change the atmosphere outside my home, but I can change it inside my home and family.
**Don't skimp on medicine. While skipping a dose or two of your preventives, abortives or pain meds to save money may seem to make sense at first, in the long run this practice usually causes more harm than good. Most preventives are dependent upon a consistent level of medicine being present in your body all the time. When these levels begin to lose consistency, the body's delicate grasp on homeostasis is disrupted, and your Migraine attacks may return. This often confuses both doctors and patients when a medicine that previously worked, suddenly seems useless. Further complicating the matter, is that Migraine is a neurologic disorder. The more attacks you experience, the more accustomed to being in a state of pain your body physiologically becomes - it actually becomes easier for those pain signals to be transmitted. Difficult situations such as central sensitization can set in. Migraines that used to be infrequent may transform to a daily occurrence that may not be controllable. The result of this practice is often a frustrated doctor who has a non-compliant patient in need of more, expensive medicines, office visits and treatments. A useful medicine may mistakenly be discarded because your doctor thinks that it has failed, when in reality the patient has failed the protocol.
**Don't skimp on medical care. If you need to see your doctor, please go and see him/her. Discuss your situation with them and most physicians will be eager to do what they can to help you. They are acutely aware of the danger of Migraineurs not appropriately treating their conditions. They may be able to help by providing you with a flow of samples to keep you on your medicine's protocol. They may know of programs in your area that can help you, and some will walk through fire to be sure their patients get the care they need. It's all about communication. If your physician seems unwilling or unsympathetic, I encourage patients to remember two things:
1. Physicians are people too. If you're hurting in the current economic climate, they are as well. As people we don't always act the way we should during times of stress. Help them out by making careful suggestions and asking questions. Use the word "help". Most doctors got into their profession because they wanted to help people, and the word tends to focus a busy doctor back on their goal.
2. If your physician is unwilling or unable to help you, perhaps it is time to find someone else who will. While it's tough to break this bond, sadly it is sometimes necessary so that you can live your life relatively free of pain and with dignity. If your family is depending on you, and you are depending on your doctor, be sure they are worthy of that trust.
**Watch your triggers. While it may be easy to skip a meal or two to save money, if this is a trigger for you, it may result in ongoing trouble. It may make sense to take a second job, but if exhaustion or lack of sleep are triggers for you, you might want to reconsider. The more attacks you have, the fewer days you will be able to work, and the lower your productivity will be. What may at first seem to be a blessing like additional employment, may turn out to be a serious problem if the end results are lowered ability to function normally and more stress at work or home. Be careful not to start a snowball rolling down the wrong hill.
**Consider seeking counseling. There are many kinds of counselors: Credit counselors, clergy, psychologists and psychiatrists, life coaches. This is the short list of some of the most useful people available to help you and your family. Deciding to seek counseling is not a sign of weakness, but of strength and responsibility. It's difficult to admit we need help, but often necessary if a patient is going to have hope of successfully multi-tasking at the level necessary to treat a chronic medical condition as well as constructively maintain their families. The current economic current only makes this more difficult. Many counselors work for free, or on a sliding scale dependent on your income and situation. A referral from you physician may be helpful, but not necessary. Tell them your situation and ask how they can accommodate you. It's okay if your first choice isn't able to offer what you need - a good match between you and a counselor is important. Ask them for a referral to someone else who might be better able to help you and work within your financial or other parameters. Helpful hint: Migraineurs often find they are more satisfied working with someone who is a Migraineur too. It's okay to ask about this when you make your first appointment.
**Find everyday support. Those who don't have an outlet for their stress have poorer outcomes than those with a support system. Isolation is a serious problem for most suffering illness, yet we know it is a precursor to dangerous problems like depression and even suicide. Twenty years ago patients were limited to what few options they had available within driving distance. Online support systems were nearly non-existent. Today there are a wide variety of choices to connect with others both locally and worldwide, from nationally recognized and funded groups to individuals. Not only are support systems now more widely recognized as beneficial (even necessary) for patients, but these relationships - borne out of a life altering common life experience - can become very close. Some people go online and find there are others like them literally around the corner. Sometimes these online support systems even turn into ongoing *real life* friendships that are recognized as more beneficial than those we may have long-distance. Support may be as easy as adopting a dog from your local shelter and immersing yourself in the love, friendship and companionship owning a pet provides,
or it may be found while volunteering with disabled children or aging adults in a nursing home. Whatever you find most helpful for you, don't neglect the basic need all human beings have to be heard, understood, and not feel they are alone.
**Remember that Migraine treatment goes well beyond doctors and medicine. It is a new way of living. It is our new 'normal'.
Do you have ways of dealing with Migraines and the current economic crisis different from some of those I've listed? Please, share them here!
Learn more about Migraine by visiting these links:
Migraine Headache
Status Migrainous
Migraine Trigger
Migraine - Endometriosis: connect the bullet points
Health Challenges - 15 life lessons...
...the work toward understanding pain
Bedtime relaxation tips
Nikki of The Brainless Blogger
Migraine music playlist
How can I prevent a Migraine attack?
Before you become swept up in the tide of distress please, remember your health is the last thing you want to give up. Good health is a gift that should be protected and guarded. If you're a parent who gives up your health, it's likely you will not be able to protect and care for your children as they need. They depend on you. Remember what the airline stewards instruct their passengers: "When the oxygen mask comes down, put your mask on first, then help your children or others needing assistance."
For Migraineurs, this may mean several things:
**Avoid stress. While stress is (controversially) no longer considered a direct trigger to Migraine, what a person does when they are stressed often is. More Migraine attacks means that you will have lowered productivity and an increased need for expensive medications and treatments. While some people find aerobic exercise and relaxation techniques such as meditation helpful, others only find relief when they turn off the barrage of news on the television and concentrate on enjoying their families. Only you can decide what will help you, but when in doubt, I always ask myself, "Is it working for you?" If the answer is "no", then I know it's time to rethink what I'm doing. In the end, I know I cannot change the atmosphere outside my home, but I can change it inside my home and family.
**Don't skimp on medicine. While skipping a dose or two of your preventives, abortives or pain meds to save money may seem to make sense at first, in the long run this practice usually causes more harm than good. Most preventives are dependent upon a consistent level of medicine being present in your body all the time. When these levels begin to lose consistency, the body's delicate grasp on homeostasis is disrupted, and your Migraine attacks may return. This often confuses both doctors and patients when a medicine that previously worked, suddenly seems useless. Further complicating the matter, is that Migraine is a neurologic disorder. The more attacks you experience, the more accustomed to being in a state of pain your body physiologically becomes - it actually becomes easier for those pain signals to be transmitted. Difficult situations such as central sensitization can set in. Migraines that used to be infrequent may transform to a daily occurrence that may not be controllable. The result of this practice is often a frustrated doctor who has a non-compliant patient in need of more, expensive medicines, office visits and treatments. A useful medicine may mistakenly be discarded because your doctor thinks that it has failed, when in reality the patient has failed the protocol.
**Don't skimp on medical care. If you need to see your doctor, please go and see him/her. Discuss your situation with them and most physicians will be eager to do what they can to help you. They are acutely aware of the danger of Migraineurs not appropriately treating their conditions. They may be able to help by providing you with a flow of samples to keep you on your medicine's protocol. They may know of programs in your area that can help you, and some will walk through fire to be sure their patients get the care they need. It's all about communication. If your physician seems unwilling or unsympathetic, I encourage patients to remember two things:
1. Physicians are people too. If you're hurting in the current economic climate, they are as well. As people we don't always act the way we should during times of stress. Help them out by making careful suggestions and asking questions. Use the word "help". Most doctors got into their profession because they wanted to help people, and the word tends to focus a busy doctor back on their goal.
2. If your physician is unwilling or unable to help you, perhaps it is time to find someone else who will. While it's tough to break this bond, sadly it is sometimes necessary so that you can live your life relatively free of pain and with dignity. If your family is depending on you, and you are depending on your doctor, be sure they are worthy of that trust.
**Watch your triggers. While it may be easy to skip a meal or two to save money, if this is a trigger for you, it may result in ongoing trouble. It may make sense to take a second job, but if exhaustion or lack of sleep are triggers for you, you might want to reconsider. The more attacks you have, the fewer days you will be able to work, and the lower your productivity will be. What may at first seem to be a blessing like additional employment, may turn out to be a serious problem if the end results are lowered ability to function normally and more stress at work or home. Be careful not to start a snowball rolling down the wrong hill.
**Consider seeking counseling. There are many kinds of counselors: Credit counselors, clergy, psychologists and psychiatrists, life coaches. This is the short list of some of the most useful people available to help you and your family. Deciding to seek counseling is not a sign of weakness, but of strength and responsibility. It's difficult to admit we need help, but often necessary if a patient is going to have hope of successfully multi-tasking at the level necessary to treat a chronic medical condition as well as constructively maintain their families. The current economic current only makes this more difficult. Many counselors work for free, or on a sliding scale dependent on your income and situation. A referral from you physician may be helpful, but not necessary. Tell them your situation and ask how they can accommodate you. It's okay if your first choice isn't able to offer what you need - a good match between you and a counselor is important. Ask them for a referral to someone else who might be better able to help you and work within your financial or other parameters. Helpful hint: Migraineurs often find they are more satisfied working with someone who is a Migraineur too. It's okay to ask about this when you make your first appointment.
**Find everyday support. Those who don't have an outlet for their stress have poorer outcomes than those with a support system. Isolation is a serious problem for most suffering illness, yet we know it is a precursor to dangerous problems like depression and even suicide. Twenty years ago patients were limited to what few options they had available within driving distance. Online support systems were nearly non-existent. Today there are a wide variety of choices to connect with others both locally and worldwide, from nationally recognized and funded groups to individuals. Not only are support systems now more widely recognized as beneficial (even necessary) for patients, but these relationships - borne out of a life altering common life experience - can become very close. Some people go online and find there are others like them literally around the corner. Sometimes these online support systems even turn into ongoing *real life* friendships that are recognized as more beneficial than those we may have long-distance. Support may be as easy as adopting a dog from your local shelter and immersing yourself in the love, friendship and companionship owning a pet provides,
or it may be found while volunteering with disabled children or aging adults in a nursing home. Whatever you find most helpful for you, don't neglect the basic need all human beings have to be heard, understood, and not feel they are alone.
**Remember that Migraine treatment goes well beyond doctors and medicine. It is a new way of living. It is our new 'normal'.
Do you have ways of dealing with Migraines and the current economic crisis different from some of those I've listed? Please, share them here!
Learn more about Migraine by visiting these links:
Migraine Headache
Status Migrainous
Migraine Trigger
Migraine - Endometriosis: connect the bullet points
Health Challenges - 15 life lessons...
...the work toward understanding pain
Bedtime relaxation tips
Nikki of The Brainless Blogger
Migraine music playlist
How can I prevent a Migraine attack?
Tags: chronic pain, economy, headache, living with it, migraine, strategies
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