Migraine aura persistent

Hello! I'm actually asking about migraines for my 14 yo daughter. She has had classic migraines with aura for the last 3 years or so. THey seem to be timed with hormonal cycles. Early on they were very frequent (a couple a week sometimes). Over time they have diminished. Her last one was 7 months ago, until last week. She was so upset to have the aura start, and it followed its typical course with headache that lasted a few hours but made her feel dull and spacy for a couple days. Her head just hasn't been right. Usually it gets back to normal after a couple days. The strange thing this time is that her aura is still there a week later. No real head pain, but weird visual stuff in her field of vision that is freaking her out. This has never happened before. We have a number of family members that have migraines of different flavors, but not the persistent aura. (She did see an MD years ago when they started, and he says migraines are so common now, even in kids, that he didn't recommend any further testing after reviewing her case.)

Any thoughts about this strange symptom? I know TMS well (I post often about my back). I know TMS can do some bizarre things. Just wondering if anyone else has had this and had it go away, because if I can tell her that, she will feel calmer I think. How hard it is to ignore a symptom so it will go away when it is so attention grabbing...

Thanks, Jeather (concerned mom)

 

I had migraines for most of my life and after using TMS treatment methods, have been migraine free for over 5 years. I never had persistent aura, but I believe all migraine symptoms are considered to be TMS, but I am not a doctor or an expert.

One of my triggers when I had migraines was hormonal changes, but I came to understand that as a conditioned response. My brain had tied the two together, but the hormonal changes were not the cause. It was the same for me with changes in the barometric pressure.

I suggest having her read some books on TMS as a starting point to her recovery. No one has to suffer with migraines.

 

Thank you, Ellen! I'll have to think about how to help her. She understands that it is TMS, because our whole family has TMS issues. She understands on a certain level that it is stress. I'm not sure how to help her internalize it at her young (newly 14yo) age. She is not really "interested" in reading one of my many TMs books. And our relationship is such that I can't push things on her... any thoughts about programs to help children/youth with TMS concepts? I appreciate your response and insights.

 

I have never had a migraine, but may I suggest that your daughter read just part of a single paragraph in Sarno's The Mindbody Prescription. It is on page 112 of my printing of the book, and if that pagination differs with other printings, it is early in Chapter 7 titled The Equivalents of TMS. Sarno wrote that as a young doctor, he suffered from migraines for about six years. Then a colleague told him about a medical paper suggesting migraines are caused by repressed anger. Sarno wrote: "I was receptive to that idea. When the next premonitory 'lights' began, I sat down and thought about what anger I might be repressing. Years later it is clear to me what I was repressing, but at the time I had no idea. However, to my astonishment, the headache never came. Nor have I ever had another migraine headache, though I have continued to have the 'dancing lights' to this day. The 'lights' tell me that I am repressing anger, and sometimes I have to think very hard to figure out the reason for the anger. Often it is obvious."

Just as I have never had a migraine I am not a therapist either, but may I suggest that if your daughter is receptive to the idea that her migraines are caused by repressed anger, you should not try to help her uncover her anger. Sarno suffered from another TMS equivalent besides migraines, namely, recurring gastroesophageal reflux. He suffered an episode during a long trip he took with his wife, who loved to travel, and he wrote about that in The Divided Mind. He and his wife recognized the problem was caused by repressed anger, and she helped him try to figure out why he was unconsciously angry. They came up with several possibilities--all related to the trip: he no longer liked to travel because of the inevitable discomforts and inconveniences; he did not care for the places they were visiting; the trip was too long; he would have rather been home working. He wrote: "We obviously didn't hit on the right answer because my symptoms continued unabated for the entire trip. It wasn't until we got home that I realized what had been going on." He was unconsciously angry at his wife about having to accompany her on a trip he really didn't want to go on. I'm no professional, but my guess is that Sarno would have hit upon the right answer sooner if his wife had not been "helping" him.

 

I certainly understand that is impossible to tell teenagers anything. Perhaps just modeling how the TMS approach has helped you is the best way to get the message across.

Wishing you both the best on your journey......

 

I’ve had a few ocular migraines (instances of auras). The first was after my very recent ex brought a new “romantic” interest out to a local hangout my friends and I frequented. The “romantic” interest ended up wanting to befriend me and get career advice of all things. I’m polite, so I listened and offered kind words despite wanting to tell this person who clearly knew exactly who I was to get lost - typical goodist personality trait that many of us are familiar with on these forums. I also ripped my expensive Ralph Lauren jacket on a cheap bar chair. I went home, slept for a bit, called my mom to cry and complain about how much I hated everyone and everything, and started seeing the auras. Had I not experienced such an obviously stupid situation (because symptoms often appear after the fact and we lose sight of the reality), I would’ve thought I had some crazy medical issue, but even my mom knew what was up. No headache, no other symptoms - I simply just saw flashes of light and swirls that totally compromised my vision for... maybe a few hours? It would’ve lasted much longer if I hadn’t understood and accepted that it was my body responding to stress. I didn’t even know that my dad has stress-induced auras until my mom handed him the phone to calm me.

The second ocular migraine was similar, but I actually did think something was wrong until I called my mom before my vision was completely gone and she and my dad snapped me back to reality. (Best parents ever and without them I would’ve definitely started hitting up specialists.)

Sometimes they start popping back up but I ignore them and they never actually develop into anything. And it’s always tied to the same old goodist personality traits and overextending myself when I’m actually upset. It’s all stress.

 

thank you

 

It's a good idea to take a quick water break, close the eyes, and pause for a moment to relax. Fresh air and unplugging works too. General self care and common sense is the best way to allow it to pass without more tension and anxiety.