The Migraine Diva: #MHAMBC Day 12 - Who Moved My Cheese?

Who Moved My Cheese? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our challenge prompt today is:

Watch this video - "Who Moved My Cheese," and tell us how you can apply it to living with Migraines and Headaches.

Change is hardly ever easy, especially when it is thrust upon you unexpectedly. A lot of times, instead of accepting change and adapting to it, people choose to remain in an old and unbeneficial situation because it is what he or she is used to and comfortable with. This is true for many who live with Migraine and Headache Disorders. Living with any neurological disorder disrupts and changes lives on many different levels. A lot of people may not have experienced the onset of Migraine or a Headache Disorder during childhood like I have. Many led productive lives before any diagnosis. Careers, families, hobbies, and social activities are all disrupted in some way or even dismantled altogether.

When life is turned upside down and one can no longer do the things he or she enjoyed, coming to terms with the changes and moving on from their old life is very difficult. You could either sit and wallow over how everything is different, be angry about it and unwilling to change or forge ahead and find new ways to find enjoyment and fulfillment. What is the "cheese" in the case of Migraine and Headache Disorders?

Career
Family
Social Life
Independence
Friends
Health

All of these things are affected by Migraine and Headache which creates a completely different way of being than we were used to. You may have to stop working due to Migraine. Hopefully, you will be able to get SSD or SSDI, but that is significantly less than what you were making when you were healthy enough to work. You become more dependent on spouses, significant others, family and/or friends to help you complete simple tasks and chores. You may lose friendships and relationships with family members who don't understand why you aren't the same person they are used to seeing and being around. You have to come to terms with having a neurological disease or disorder that has no cure and very few effective treatments. Are you willing to accept these changes in your life? Yes, they are hard and devastating alterations. But are you going to refuse to seek a new path or pick yourself up and gain the courage to see what other options are out there?

Spencer Johnson brings up some good points in the movie that are worth remembering. Such as these:

“What would you do if you weren't afraid?”
“What you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists.”
“When you stop being afraid you feel good.”
“See what you're doing wrong, laugh at it, change and do better.”
“The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.”
“It is safer to search in the maze than to remain in a cheeseless situation.”
“Movement in new direction helps find new cheese.”

Life with Migraine and/or a Headache Disorder inevitably means there is going to be significant change. Remind yourself that although your current situation may be deteriorating, you are not obligated to stay in it. Your journey is like a maze where you have to seek to find the new cheese, whether it be a finding new doctor, approach to treatment, finding new friends, ending a marriage or leaving a job you love. It is important to not let the fear of change rewrite the narrative of the true situation. Keep looking for new cheese. The rewards you reap will be far greater than staying in a situation where all the cheese has run out.