Posted by Wynn (205.188.195.43) on July 19, 1999 at 12:06:20:
In Reply to: My quiet spot posted by Sandy C on July 16, 1999 at 02:30:35:
Sandy (et al)...
Save for the worst, I too have found that a bio-feedback sort of thing works for me.
I get my cold glass of water with ice cubes. Retreat to a back room and put a thick pillow on the desk. I sit up during attacks (laying/lying (?) down does not work for me.) I nestle in my chair, put my elbows on the pillow (simply for comfort and to raise my head a bit for when I rest my head in my hands.)
I drink and hold the cold water in my mouth (as sometimes my back teeth roar with pain.) And I attempt to lightly hold my head. It often takes a little work to find the best hands on position.
This is where the feedback part begins. Finding that best hand position that affords some relief. And then to begin to focus on that slight relief. No strain. Just "going with the flow" as it were. And then to begin to focus on that "quiet spot." For you the beach. For me, any pleasant place on that deaded night that works. At times it can be a simple as a blank. A blackboard that I try to keep clean. An empty space into which I allow no thoughts to enter. Trying not to recognize the pain. to block the pain and allow myself only to feel a bit of relief.
This can be a great deal of work. It can come easily at times too. But to focus on something that reliefs the pain. and in time, the relief stays a bit longer. And longer. It becomes almost joyful at times. But I try to stay focused. Stay stay with that grand feeling.
Breathing too for me helps. I typically find that shallow breathes work best. Sometimes even holding my breath slightly after inhaling. "Square breathing" I believe Dr. Luara Scheslinger (Talk radio) calls it. Inhale. Hold. exhale. Hold. Inhale.
It is a symphony of effort. Breathing. Hand position. Cold water. Calming thought.
And then of course I interrupt it all to blow my nose. Just that one clogged nostril on the same side as my pain. nad then retreat back to where I was if possible. Or to start again.
What amazes me is that when it works the relief can be sudden. The devil departs immediately. Almost as if there was no pain to begin with.
(And here is where I worry that it is "all in my head" so to speak (no pun intended.) That I do not have a problem, but rather am just one taco short of a combination plate...a hypocondric.)
Like anything, practice makes perfect and I find that I do get better at it. Altho, there are those times when all hell breaks loose and I succumb to ranting and then to my cafergot suppositories. I prefer the relaxation technique. It has no side effects.
Anyway, I know nothing of Lamaz. And after 25 years (this fall) of dealing with my problem I have come to discover this.
Good luck to you. Best wishes. And for that one time in my life I can say honestly "...that I feel your pain."