As many of you may know from reading my post a couple years ago, “A Migraine is not Just a Headache,” I’ve been dealing with pain issues for some time now. I thought I’d share what it has taught me. I’d like to encourage anyone else with chronic pain to share what they’ve learned as well.

I started getting migraines when I was about 10 years old, but they didn’t become extremely frequent until I was in college. Like many chronic pain sufferers, I’m the type of person who tends to take on way more than I can actually get done. In college, I took 21 credits one semester (12 credits is considered full time), and another semester, I was working four part-time jobs at once. As you can imagine, piling on so much just made my migraines worse.

While attending college, I just wanted to pretend that my migraines didn’t exist, and I tried to push through them, in my attempt to be a super-high-achiever. As you have probably already guessed, this just made my migraines worse. Pretending you do not have pain is not the solution. I was reluctant to even call my headaches “migraines!”

Some time after college, I decided that I needed to accept my migraines as a limitation. I couldn’t just pretend that I didn’t have them, because that just made the situation worse. I realized that I couldn’t do things that others around me were doing, like drinking alcohol or staying out late, because these things would trigger migraines.

Sometimes I’m just too sick to work. That has always been difficult for me to accept, and even more difficult to explain to others (“Oh, you just have a headache. What’s the big deal?”). I’ve come to realize that I must accept that sometimes I can’t do things. However, there is a fine line between accepting a limitation and using it as a crutch or an excuse. Finding this balance is not easy. I’ve also come to accept that there will always be people who don’t understand.

I have to make sure I don’t think of myself as lazy when I’m just too sick to do something. I also have to make sure that I’m not using my pain as an excuse to get out of doing something I don’t want to do.

It is a challenge to pace myself in my work, but if I take on too much, the migraines get worse. I have to prioritize tasks. I’m not the type of person who likes to procrastinate, but sometimes I have to allow myself to put something off for a day or two. I find short lists to be helpful. I’m not a fan of long lists. If I schedule myself to do 20 things in a day, and at the end of the day, I’ve checked off only two, I feel terrible. On the other hand, if I schedule myself to do three things, and I check off two of them, I can live with that. Having a flexible schedule (working for myself) has been extremely beneficial in allowing me to pace myself.

I often find myself not doing things I’d like to do because I’m afraid I’ll get a migraine. Things like scent, light, motion, and changes in adrenaline and endorphins can trigger a migraine for me, so even something simple like a trip to a museum can trigger a migraine. I think the lesson here is that sometimes I need to risk getting a migraine, otherwise I’ll end up not doing much at all.

Here are four things that I think are beneficial to any chronic pain sufferer:
1. Exercise. Even starting with walking 10 minutes a day is helpful!
2. Healthy food. A little chocolate now and then is fine, but the bulk of your diet should be nutritious.
3. Relaxation techniques. Meditation isn’t for everyone, but there are other relaxing activities. I personally like to draw. Getting away from tv, computer, and cell phone for awhile every day is a good thing.
4. Omega 3 fatty acids. Found in walnuts and in fish oil – beneficial for pain management.

I’m not saying that I’m really great about all of these things myself, but we all know these things are good for us, and they’re waaaay better than suffering pain or pain meds.

I’d love to hear from others with chronic pain issues. I don’t want this to become a whine fest, however. Please share some of the things that you have found to be helpful in dealing with your pain and living your life with pain. Thank you!