| Q: |
I get very stressed when I try to take care of myself and everything else I have to do at home. How can I do it all?
| | A: |
Accommodating your treatment program and home responsibilities
can be a real source of stress. As you continue with your lifestyle
changes and succeed with better migraine control, you will find this
challenge less overwhelming. Often the stress is created by your need to
take care of everything yourself. Trying to continue your lifestyle as
usual and adding your treatment program will only cause unnecessary
stress. If you hope to succeed with your treatment, you will need to
make some adjustments in your lifestyle to accommodate your migraine
care.
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| Q: |
I feel guilty when I cannot do things with my family and friends.
How do I find time for social activities, as well as my treatment
program?
| | A: |
In the beginning, you may need to make some changes in your usual
activities to allow time for your migraine treatment program. Placing
some of your activities on hold until you have your migraine under
control will reduce stress. The necessary commitments can be shared with
family or friends. Before you involve yourself in an activity, make
sure you can maintain your treatment-friendly lifestyle.
|
| Q: |
Should I ask my family to adapt their schedule because of my treatment?
| | A: |
Yes, one family member’s chronic illness is a burden that the
entire family must help them to bear. Unless migraine is aggressively
treated, the attacks can cause considerable disruption for everybody
around you. If changing your family’s schedule helps reduce the
frequency of attacks, it will benefit everyone. Your family can, and
should, support you, so do not feel guilty about asking them to
contribute to the success of your treatment program.
|
| Q: |
How can I identify relationships or financial issues that are creating stress?
| | A: |
Stress increases the frequency of migraine attacks. In order to
reduce stress, you need to determine what issues are creating problems.
Relationships and financial situations are common sources of stress for
many people. Monitoring your migraine attacks, tracking them in your
migraine diary, and documenting stressful events will help you identify
sources of stress. When you are able to determine the sources of your
stress, you are better able to formulate a plan to deal with the
problem.
|
| Q: |
Can my home environment cause stress?
| | A: |
Yes, your domestic environment certainly can cause stress and
trigger a migraine attack. Your home needs to be migraine-friendly.
Making sure you have a quiet, comfortable setting to go to when you have
a migraine attack is an important aspect of your abortive therapy.
Reducing glare and eliminating pungent odors and unnecessary noise will
help decrease migraine triggers. Maintaining a home environment that is
both relaxing and turmoil-free will go a long way in helping you prevent
migraine.
|
| Q: |
When I listen to the news I become very upset. How can I prevent global issues from causing me overwhelming stress?
| | A: |
We live in a time when 24-hour news channels provide us with
constant updates on wars, natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and
global warming. Obviously, it is important that you stay informed.
However, you need to avoid overexposure to stressful news. Therefore,
you should limit the amount of time you spend listening to news about
events that could upset you. If you are feeling overwhelmed, find
someone with whom you can share your concerns, or seek professional help
for stress management.
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