wildaspie

I have a migraine brewing, apparently … oh, I hate it so much when my head hurts.  Any other kind of pain is no big deal.  I don’t process “pain” the same way other people do, and in most cases I can just ignore it quite effectively.

But migraines are entirely different.  I can’t ignore pain that is in my brain where no pain should be able to be felt.  I even lecture myself that since there are no nerve endings in the brain, there is no way to feel anything at all, and especially not pain.

My brain does not listen, and the pain goes on.

So instead of arguing with my stubborn brain today, I’m trying to simply distract myself with more pleasant thoughts … namely, cuddling with my technomancer sweetie and maybe listening to him talk about his latest programming project.

I started having anxiety attacks a few years ago, when I was working two jobs.  I had them on Tuesday afternoons.  When I figured out what was going on they stopped.

Basically, I was having the attacks on Tuesdays because I worked one job Monday through Thursday and the other Friday through Sunday.  By Tuesday afternoon my body figured out another week had gone by and I didn’t have a weekend in there – a time to relax, or at least do work more directly related to my own home, family and projects.

I listened to my body and made some adjustments to my schedule so that I could have the time I needed for myself, and the attacks stopped.

Then a year or so later, the seizures started, and I ended up with a pill-pushing charlatan of a neurologist that *started* me on a ridiculously high dose of Depakote: 1250mg a day.  I called it “Dope-n-coat” because it reduced my life to an existence in pale fog.  And it had no effect on the seizures.  Finally I got a second opinion, got the dosage reduced to a reasonable level (250mg/day), and although the seizures were still unaffected, the medication was very effective at preventing one of the kinds of migraines I had been getting regularly.

And since then, the anxiety attacks have returned.  Only now they strike without warning, no reason, to way to prevent them.  Finally, after a week of four and five attacks a day, I saw the doctor and got a prescription for a med to help.

It’s been a couple weeks and so far so good … except that last night I didn’t take it, and today, sure as sunshine, I got walloped with a panic attack.  At least it reminded me to take my pill – I am notoriously bad about “staying on meds” even when I feel they’re helping me.

First, remember to always breathe in and out through the nose.  This is the natural design of the body, and when one breathes through the mouth, the body’s first-line defense measures against dirt and disease are subverted.

Second, make inhalations and exhalations of equal duration and pressure (or as close to it as possible).  Perhaps because of the predominance of speech for communication, people often train their bodies to inhale very quickly and sharply, and exhale shallowly.

It is important to allow the lungs to function fully as they should.  The entire lung must be given opportunity to inflate and deflate with each breath.  Posture plays a key part: hunching or slouching inhibits the full inflation of the lungs.

When breathing properly at last, one might become dizzy or light-headed from the increased amount of oxygen reaching the brain.  Practice in safety until your body is used to breathing properly.