Migraine Sufferers: Opportunities to Seize Control Again

Your life has had many turning points - your first day of school, for example. Later on, you had a more direct role when you chose the location for your first home or on your first day of full-time work.

Now, as a long-term migraine sufferer, a crucial tipping point has arrived. You are on the verge of declaring:

"I no longer wish to live like this, as a passive victim of migraine.

I intend to improve how I relate to myself, to others, and to my community.

And I am going to act on this immediately, and gain control of my life."

You are deciding that the status quo no longer holds for you. How might you have reached this place?

1. Despair/Resolution.

You feel that you can go no lower, and you vow to make a comeback. The greatest example is Lance Armstrong, who returned from cancer surgery to cycling pre-eminence. Perhaps you missed yet another important life event due to a migraine attack, and you have pledged to yourself that this will not occur again.

2. Sensing Impending Loss.

You realize that, without taking action, part of you will wither and die. As you get older, you come to understand that your time and your ability to have an impact on what you desire is running out.

At the age of 60 a close relative of mine had a heart bypass. Afterwards, he understood clearly that his full life, including enjoyment of his new grandchildren, was at stake. So he followed doctor's orders and reshaped his body through exercise and diet, and has had a wonderful decade since then.

"It's a shame if people neglect what they can become..." -- Steve Lyons

Are you going to allow opportunities to impact other people pass you by forever?

3. Chronic Pain Response.

Perhaps you have limited the way you live for years because of headaches and their associated effects, and now you simply decide to exercise greater control of your life. Migraine sufferers, even with good medical treatment, often restrict their activities because of the unpredictability of their attacks.

For some of them a new era dawns with this question: "Why can't I control the disease, instead of vice versa, so that I can live a fuller life?" This is a matter of attitude and mindset, and people ranging from Thomas Jefferson to actor Marcia Cross have triumphed over their migraines.

"Each handicap is like a hurdle in a steeplechase, and when you ride up to it, if you throw your heart over, the horse will go along, too." -- Lawrence Bixby

4. A Sense of Destiny.

You can clearly visualize a better future, based on your strengths and the available opportunities. (Think of Barack Obama at the very moment when he decided to run for President.) Does your imagination permit you to contemplate the possibilities available once you sublimate your migraine pain?

Do any of these breakthrough scenarios resonate with you?

Once you have made your positive declaration about change, your strong intentions along with your excitement will spur you into action. Preparation begins - you will find relevant information as well as the resources you will need to reduce the suffering that goes with your migraines.

You will likely discover that you can't reach your destination by yourself; you will need people who support you on the journey. Abandon people who are negative or who have their own agendas about how you "should" change...and then find a coach to help you achieve migraine independence.