Severe and piercing head pains are often what send me into fits of hypochondria. To me, head pain equals stroke. I have a hard time believing that it’s normal to fall to your knees—wincing in unbearable pain—multiple times a week, due to “headaches.”But then it hit me! If people didn’t experience these same pains, on a massive scale, Advil wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar company.
And, this is what led me to develop the Advil Mantra, (all rights reserved).
When I suddenly experience a shooting pain in my frontal lobe, I make a conscious effort to imagine never-ending aisles of “pain relieving” medicine in my local grocer. I try to visualize thousands of other people curing these same pains with that magical little pill of Advil, (without giving it a second thought). And, surprisingly it works.
So next time you feel that proverbial knife slicing through your brain, close your eyes, breathe deep, hum “Advil,” and think of all the normal people.
9 comments:
Hi leila...... Thats a good idea with the vision thingy...... can I ask you a question.... I am 30 and have been going through anxiety since about june. I dont have attacks... just worrying all the time and just overall feel like crap 24/7.... do you have good days or are you always thinking about stuff? I am not on any meds cause imo they made me worse. I feel like all the tests that I have had done and the drs dont know what they are talking about. I wish I could just get over this. Sorry to write just a long thing. Im just wondering if you think its normal for me to feel like crap all of the time. Thanks and you can emal me if you want jennitc77@aol.com. TTYL
You’re absolutely right about “normal people” having the same symptoms and just popping an Advil with no further worries. I, on the other hand feel super-sensitized to what’s going on in my body. It’s like when I’m flying in a plane (about as much fun as a doctor’s visit), I can detect changes in altitude, speed, air pressure, you name it, I can feel it! I can FEEL when someone flushes in the bathroom compartment. Any turbulence at all will have me visualizing the tragic headlines, while the passengers around me seem blissfully ignorant.
By the way, I’ve been sufficiently inspired to create my own blog:
http://whistlingnthedark.blogspot.com/
Barbora
Hi Jenni:
I’m more of the peak and valley type. And a lot of times, my valleys last a lot longer than my peaks. Even when I’m feeling good, I still worry, or obsess on certain things, I’m just able to snap out of it quicker.
I also don’t do meds, nor do I trust doctors. This may sound cheesy, but I would recommend “self talk”. Every hour I try to stop what I’m doing, remind myself of the positives in my life, and recite my good qualities. It raises my spirits.
***
Barbora:
I’m the queen of hypersensitivity. And don’t get me started on flying!
I’m off to check out the blog now…
Just a thought that might help you ease your fears. Your brain doesn't have the ability to feel pain. Its likely when you have a headache it is not your brain at all. Anyway, most often when people are having strokes they don't realize it.
Hmmm, that's interesting. I've never heard that before and am off to search the web now.
I guess this means I should really be worrying about having a stroke when I think I'm not having a stroke? ;)
I just came upon your blog randomly while searching for how to deal with my hypochondria that I am just now starting to see the existance of. I just wanted to thank you for showing me that I am not alone in the way that I feel, and that chances are every headache I experience is not a brain tumor. Every little ache or pain in my body sends me to google looking up sypmtoms to give me a name for my new serious illness of the week. Now I realize that maybe the illness I should be looking up is hypochondria.
Anonymous:
Sounds to me like you’re a hypochondriac and a cyberchondriac – welcome to the club! You’re definitely not alone. Although it doesn’t sound like you’re doing too bad with only a “illness of the week,” I usually have an illness of the day ;)
Brilliant post. I use the same mantra myself (but slightly different so as to avoid copyright infringement and royalties).
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