Sophia, so very sorry to hear that your family is turning their backs on you, I do not know what to say other than you have all of us here 24/7 for you.

Why do people do this? I get the   at my workplace, mainly because they have not seen me get hit there so they just don't get it I guess.. My family is about the same way, except for my Mom, who, of all people, did not scoff at me trying the srooms, which did not work for me this time, but may try again another cycle.

hang in there Sophia, you are a Clusterhead which makes us a strong as anybody out there. You can get over these hurdles with all of us behind you!

   Barry

i've pretty given up on people that don't understand. it doesn't even make me mad anymore. most importantly you have to deal with your affliction. when you get that figured out and under control then you can mend fences with your folks. if you try to juggle all of these things at once its going to drive you crazy if you aren't all ready.  i'm sure things will work out in time.

i am so sorry for this.
Keep the spirit up no matter what and take care of yourself.

Sophia wrote on Jun 1^st, 2009 at 8:53am:


That statement got to me.  Sophia you are not crazy, you are not alone, and you are not to blame.  Them taking that point of view is equal to a CHer blaming their parents for them having the disease, for the simple means of genetics;  

You have no control over this thing being in your life;  what you do have control over, however, is how you react to it, how you deal with it, and what you choose to make of your life in spite of it.

If your family cannot be supportive and loving, even if they don't understand, then it's time to do as you have been advised, and either eliminate (for now) the contact with them, or at least minimize it to the barest necessity.  

Focus on you, keep yourself looking for help for both CH and whatever else may present itself as a result of the situation.  Do not withdraw from the world, reach out to us here, we DO understand, and we can and will support all who suffer in whatever way we can.  There is always hope, because the sun will always rise on a new day.  Hope will only end when life ends, and you are much stronger than you believe yourself to be right now;  You CAN and WILL succeed in taming this beast, and you will be able to sort out any family issues from a position of strength and certainty within your own heart.  

For now, leave that nastiness aside, and stay focused on yourself, and getting the help and treatment you need.

People fear what they don't understand;  it sounds to me like your family is very fearful because of your condition and their lack of knowledge on the subject.  Time is your best ally in this situation; 

Cat

I'm so sorry to hear this Sophia.  Know that you are not alone and we here do understand what you are going through. 

I do hope you family comes around for you.

Hugs,
Beth

Hang on, Sophia. Sounds like you know what might help you, and you are pursuing it. Good for you!

I think the family needs some communication, facts, science. If they don't buy in after that, they can bite it.

Good luck, sugar.

Stay strong and take care of yourself.

Society has conditioned people for decades and convinced them that these medicines will turn people violent and permanently crazy.  And the law doesn't really approve, to put it mildly.  So from that perspective, it is not surprising that some people shun others who have expressed interest in taking them. This is not to excuse anyone's actions, merely trying to understand it.  They have not researched it and are operating on a different set of "facts" and strong emotional bias on this issue.  Maybe someday in the future, when they see you healthy and doing well and successful in life, it may be possible to have a reconciliation.  But for the time being, focus on yourself and what you need to do.

And be careful of myfacebookspace and twitcher - what used to be a passing comment that disappeared immediately becomes etched on the internet for all to read - that is a lesson many of have to deal with from time to time.    

Sophia, Here's something to work on for awhile...you never know:

Dr. Wright’s Circulatory Technique

What follows is a technique learned from a neurologist:
I am not sure what mechanism is triggered by this but whatever it is, at least indirectly helps kill the pain. I do know that this technique has nothing to do with meditation, relaxation, or psychic ability. It is entirely physical and takes some work. It involves concentrating on trying to redirect a little circulation to the arms, hands, or legs. It can described as a conscious circulatory flexing. Increased circulation will result in a reddening and warming of the hands. Try to think of it as filling your hands with redirected blood. The important and difficult part is that it has to be done without interruption through the pain. Do not give up in frustration. It may not work on the first try. Every now and then it will work almost immediately. I lived for those moments. Try experimenting between attacks. You will find that it gets easier with practice.

I was given less than five minutes instruction in the use of method. The doctor, while placing his arm on his desk, showed me that he could slightly increase his arm and hand circulation. After several attempts, I was able to repeat this procedure and use it successfully. I have had about a 75% success rate shortening these attacks. My 20 minute attacks were often reduced to 10 minutes or less. Once proven that I had a chance to effectively deal with this horror, I always gave it a try as I had nothing to lose but pain.

Perhaps it will help if you think of it as trying to fill the arm as if it is were an empty vessel. I used to try to imagine I was pushing blood away from my head into my arm. Use your imagination. There is one man who wrote that his standing barefoot on a concrete floor shortened his attacks. This may be similar as it draws some circulation away from the head. Cold water, exercise, or anything affecting circulation, seems to be worth a try. My suggestion is to not let up immediately when the pain goes. Waiting a minute is probably a good idea. So long as you do not slack off, this has a chance of working.

This technique is very useful while waiting for medication to take effect or when none is available. It costs nothing, is non-invasive, and can be used just about anywhere. It is not a miracle but it helped me deal with this horror. It can be a bit exhausting but the success rate was good enough for me and a cluster headache sufferer will do just about anything to end the pain. It gives us a fighting chance.
I hope this technique is helpful and I wish you the best of luck

Charlie