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In order to avoid being constantly crabby and unpleasant I needed to find ways to vent just to release the negativity that inevitably comes with living with chronic migraines and fibromyalgia. So here are some of the things I've been doing to vent:
1. This blog has been a wonderful space to vent, get support, exchange ideas, express myself and organize my thoughts and feelings.
2. Finding ways to laugh about aspects of living with chronic pain. For example, I have several cartoons on my fridge poking fun at doctors, prescription drugs and migraines. Laughing in general is such a great release. Laughing specifically about my conditions feels more like venting as it helps me reframe my perspective.
3. Celebrating the small victories also feels like venting. This is my chance to show myself that the pain hasn't won and that there is still plenty of good. Times like this past Tuesday when after almost a year without a haircut I went in and the stylist said she couldn't believe what great shape my hair was in considering how long it had been. That little victory deflated so much of the frustration I had been feeling when I woke up.
4. My active imagine will at times help me to vent. I'll picture doing or saying something that I would never do or say in real life to someone who just doesn't get it. Like last weekend when my we had breakfast with my husband's side of the family. My sister-in-law's husband asked if I would be driving down to their place during the day to let their dogs out during the week my husband is staying at their house to dog sit. Their house is about a half hour from us (one way) and so it would be a ridiculous waste of time, energy and money for me to do that for 7 days straight. I said no and he gave me this look, made a sarcastic sound in his throat followed by "what else do you have to do?" I politely smiled and said that I was going to be taking care of our dog, rabbit and myself. Then I spent time imaging egging his smug face, beating his body in such a way that he would feel all the various pains I get to experience on a daily basis just to watch...and of course, imaging the things I would have liked to say.
Migrainista, I love your healthy and humorous outlook. Especially with the inlaws. I am surrounded by those sorts of people myself and I too have that sort of imagination. After putting up with them for 30+ years and you get tired of explaining to them when basically it does no good becaus it's just hollow between the ears for those sort of people, you handle it perfectly and I too have learned to handle it the same way.
ReplyDeleteI learned a long time ago to trim my own hair and once in a blue moon when I'm up to going out to get it done at a hair salon they are amazed at how little they have to do to it-just a little snipping to get it even. And since I rarely use a blow drying (oh that god awful noise is unbearable) I don't have split ends. And thank goodness for Garnier hair color that is a little more tolerable than ones in the past so I can keep up with the grays. Granted it may take me a few months to find a better day to get courage to color and not heave thru the process, but I count that as a plus.
So there are small victories to celebrate. I like to do a daily journal to write them down and to force myself to think of the positives so that this disease doesn't totally take control. And thank God for people like you and all the others for the inspiration you give and the ideas along with the support for the whole migraine and chronic illness community. I personally want to Thank You for your postings that have helped me and countless others.
With that being said I feel like watching a comedy.