“I feel like someone is hitting my brain with a hammer,” said this 32-year-old client who was fed up with his frequent migraines.
Migraines are extremely common. It is a condition in which a person experiences a headache of varying intensity, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. When you hear of someone who has a migraine issue, you aren’t very alarmed or concerned because of how common they are. It’s like someone mentioning they have a cold. Not too grave an illness, right? But just because migraines are widespread, doesn’t mean they don’t interfere with one’s day to day life and have a direct impact on the personality too.
Such was the case with this 32-year-old man who came to me for a consultation. He suffered from frequent migraines. “I have been getting migraine attacks for the past 10 years. They started during my growing up years but worsened when I started college. I’m really fed up. I get attacks almost every other day. I wake up with a blinding pain in my head that stays for days. It handicaps me. I can’t do any work because of this constant pain,” he expressed with deep agony.
I went on to ask him about what triggers his migraines and what he experiences during an attack. “Extreme heat, weather changes, and lack of sleep are the culprits, he said, adding, “every time I get an attack, I feel like someone is hitting my brain with a hammer. I sweat profusely and my vision gets blurry. I feel nauseous as well.”
He also spoke about his sleep issues, saying that often his migraines are an outcome of his poor quality of sleep. “It takes me hours to fall asleep. And when I do, I don’t sleep well. I keep tossing and turning as I am restless. Plus, I get nightmares and I wake up with a start most nights. I also have a habit of clenching my teeth (it is a sleeping disorder where a person grinds their teeth during sleep),” said he.
I saw that he was extremely exhausted by this condition and it was starting to affect his mental health as well. The client mentioned that earlier he used to be a carefree, happy person. However ever since his migraines struck, he has become bitter and irritable. “I have become snappy because the pain refuses to leave my side. I am cranky most of the time as I feel helpless,” he said with exasperation.
This brought me to my next question during the consultation about how he manages his migraines. The client said he used to be dependent on heavy migraine medication before, but not anymore. “Why?” I asked, to which he responded,” The medication gives me tremors. I also feel I sweat a lot after taking it. So now I just take regular headache pills that help only to an extent. I am looking for a permanent solution as I don’t want to be dependent on medicines to feel better.”
I advised him to undergo Neurofeedback at the earliest as it would help eliminate his migraine issue once and for all.
The client has undergone around 25 sessions and reports that his migraines have stopped completely. He is also able to fall asleep within minutes now and his nightmares are gone. Also, he no longer grinds his teeth and is able to sleep peacefully.
And most importantly, he feels happy and at peace as compared to before. Today when I meet him, he seems like a different person, cheerful, relaxed and carefree.
To learn more about Neurofeedback, visit here.
