Sneak peek into the behind the scenes of the chronic pain life. This is like the third time in the last year I have had appointments with someone and they simply “forgot” or didn’t put it in their system 😑🙄 not helpful when you have ADHD and struggle with schedule/time management. Plus how awkward it is when you arrive for your “appointment” and you aren’t even in their system. Talk about feeling the anxiety amp up.
Got told I need to work on my mental health and self care management tasks - which yeah…I kinda already knew that one. But that is why I more went to her for help with my nutrition and my weird relationship with food (emotional/binge eating) I’ve had since my middle school days.
Is she going to be helpful? In the long run, I sure hope so. I hope she does email me like she said she would and that she simply isn’t going to toss me aside because I’m not “worse off than so and so” or that she doesn’t think she can help.
We shouldn’t have to be relying on Doctor Google to help us figure stuff out or to decide to stop talking a supplement because you read it could be what has been lowering your blood pressure - you think well I should ask the doctors first - their answer: “We don’t know. You would have to try taking it out and see what happens.” Thanks y’all, thanks 👏🏻 Hate being a medical Guinea pig.
Greetings 👋🏻 from New Hampshire, USA where the barometric pressure always seems to be low whether it’s summer & stormy or winter & snowy - 🤷🏻♀️ can’t seem to win yet.
In August, I am going to try to participate (the best I can) to the #AugustForArtists Prompt List Challenge which is a Instagram content challenge hosted by @thatblonde.art on Instagram!
It encourages us to either create new content or to totally showcase, share and repurpose old posts/photos you have laying around on your phone!
Let’s stop this whole idea that we have to constantly be producing new and amazing content in order to stay on top of social media or to keep our followers.
I struggle to create (1) because like most things in my life ADHD causes me to feel so overwhelmed that I simply never start because I am filled with perfectionism and worry I won’t get it “right.” I feel like my art is “stupid or childlike” most of the time and my inner critic says, “Is that even art?!”
I took a two month posting break (2) from social media due to my mental health. I struggle with falling down the rabbit hole of social media and find myself getting stuck in the comparison game. I feel like social media is filled with posts inducing fear in people and the highlight reels of everyone’s life - which makes me feel like I am missing out on life even more, not good enough.
Especially when so called “friends” who live nearby cannot even hang out or barely even make time to message me back, but can be on social media, hanging out with other friends and such - as an empath, sensitive person (3) with trust issues it makes it hella hard seeing that. I get jealous and instantly go into the roller coaster of thoughts of what is wrong with me and what did I do wrong.
(There is like 1-2 local people that actually DO RESPOND when I message them back and when both our vehicles are working better we will be making plans)
I have always LOVED bright colors and been attracted to them (4) I actually used to have this like green skirt I used to wear over jeans 2010-2011 or so during high school and such to show my “personality and flare.” I also never used to leave the house without my hair being “perfectly” straight, having make up on usually consisting of thick eye liner and having changed out of probably like 3-4 outfits before settling on the one I was wearing. I have always had this anxiety when going into public and being around other people.
I am learning to create and manage life with ADHD (5) as a 27 year old woman (was officially diagnosed last fall) while still dealing with chronic intractable pain from migraine since November 2019 - 60+ treatment options later, numerous hospital stays, numerous doctor visits and many frustrated words being said. I have been out of the work force since then as well and have been finding lucrative ways to bring in even a little bit of income to cover some bills. In July, last month, I did a 4 day stay at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center on the psychiatric hospital. First time ever being on that floor (usually I’m on neurology wing) and man it was a whirlwind of emotions - story for another day.
You can find me over on Instagram @msisabelledowlin to catch all the August for Artist posts throughout this month!
Utilizing art in the management of navigating the feelings/effects that come with chronic pain conditions like migraine.
“A study in 2018 involving almost 200 participants revealed that engaging in art therapy for about 50 minutes resulted in a reduction in the intensity of pain.” “The other indirect way that art therapy can be helpful for migraine is through the reduction in stress. Since stress is one of the most prevalent triggers of migraine attacks, by using therapies that target a reduction in stress, the frequency of migraine attacks can also be potentially decreased. Art therapy, along with other forms of interventions, has demonstrated positive results in reducing stress in participants—a significant point for consideration.” (Resource: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197455617301053 )
Art therapists can engage medical inpatients in the creation of art to encourage emotional and physical healing. Utilizing a chart review, t
In fact, there were migraine art competitions held in the 1980s where participants were able to submit works to portray their experiences of life with migraine. Check out more here: https://migrainebuddy.com/art-therapy-migraine-relief-does-it-work/
More about these pieces of artwork from history’s past depicting the effects and the experience of migraine: https://nursingclio.org/2019/07/09/witness-to-pain-the-migraine-art-collection/
GREAT TIP TO FILL YOUR SPARE TIME:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase use of Zoom! I have found SO many FREE and cost effective events/classes/webinars on Eventbrite! I love to go in and search for a topic that interests me like: watercolor, card making, creative, craft, movement, etc and then I filter it by “online” and “free” then scroll through and find the ones that interest me. Simple as that! You can even use the app to find events locally! I haven’t found much interesting things locally BUT my boyfriend and I are supposed to be going to a town about 30 minutes away for a lawn side movie drive in with the movie Jumanji - 1995 classic plus admiring the work of Robin Williams (RIP - I really want to see the movie his wife created in his honor “Robin’s Wish”). 
Some to-do’s with art:
Print off a couple different lists of art journal prompts then cut them up and put into a container to randomly draw when we need a inspiring prompt.
I also involved my therapist with my desire to be more creative and explore that side of myself without judgement. My therapist agreed and this week these were the results of the prompts we did in therapy.
There are some actual licensed art therapists who base their whole program around creative expression in the form of art and movement etc - but that is not really available in my area of Northern New Hampshire.
There also are some group art therapy programs offered in offer towns/states - be resourceful and use Google to search what is available in your area.
I was first introduced to art therapy when I did a two week stay at the St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago, Illinois on the Diamond Headache Floor.
They used art therapy, different craft techniques, as a way to help us explore a way to combat our migraine/headache pain.
I will hopefully 🤞🏻 share that story again later on. I actually was interviewed about my migraine journey for a podcast.
Trigger warning: Mention of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, self-harm, PTSD, abusive relationships.Isabelle lives with Intractable Migraine.
I also am going to be featured in a migraine e-magazine called My Chronic Brain in the future about the Diamond Headache Clinic as well!!
Check out My Chronic Brain (free) released quarterly:
https://www.mychronicbrain.com/
To me, I am feeling like despite the super fatigue, blah feeling that has come from another round of medication changes, that the sign I am creating some art this past week means the antidepressant Nardil (Phenelzine) may be working.
🤞🏻🤞🏻 because my blood pressure has been all over the place so I have felt like a Guinea pig with myself lately trying to figure that out.
If in 6-8 weeks, we feel it’s not helping the depression (complex PTSD) and chronic intractable migraine (24/7 pain since Nov 2019) then we have to re-evaluate again, considering weaning off Phenelzine and figuring something else out.
Part of me honestly wants it to work even for a good like 6 months to a year so I have a break from the constant medication changes. I am mentally exhausted.
Since beginning of 2019, when I went to my PCP and found out I had been experiencing migraine with aura to now with my headache specialist Dr. Stewart Tepper and my psychiatrist we have tried 60+ medication treatments to try to tackle this chronic migraine.
So please don’t come @ me with the “Have you tried” unless it’s something that most migraineurs have actually not heard of. If a simple google search says it’s common info, I have probably already tried it or like when people tell me to drink more water or meditate or eat “healthier”…it is like I get it - thanks…do not need the reminder. By the way, I am actually my biggest judge and have probably criticized myself over these same tiny fricken “ideas” “facts” too. Thanks 🤗👌🏻
Side Note - I am proud of the Olympic athletes who are speaking up about their mental health even to the point of stepping aside from the games to protect/work on their mind and talking about their life/experience with migraine.
Tell me below in the comments - Have you gotten into any new hobbies during this whole pandemic situation?? Anyone else utilizing Eventbrite for free things to do or going to start to now that I mentioned it?!
“Good morning Katherine, I just wanted to let you know that we have located the Migraine Art.” For four years, as I worked on the history of
Art therapy provides pain relief by reducing the perception of pain, but would this help during a migraine too?
I find with shows like this, it is not so much I am taking photos of the “best, perfect, put together” looks, but more so they spark my inner child’s curiosity. They make my ADHD brain 🧠 stop and say, “Wow, I really like this.”
I like it for the color combinations and patterns that the artists picked. I hope to use them are inspiration for my own art like on my art journal. Using their makeup looks as color pallets inspiration or mimicking a design they used like circles around the eyes - which could come out in the form of dots on the corner of a piece of paper (making it my own).
Since it is harder to get out and to art museums, not to mention the money they cost, it is nice to look for inspiration in unique places.
Season 3 is on Netflix now if you haven’t already checked it out!
Don’t these color combos make you want to simply get creative in some way?! 😍 I have ALWAYS been a fan of bright colors!
Did You Know - I actually used to be the girl who had these bright lime green skirt I bought while in Old Orchard Beach Maine (era 2010). I would wear this skirt over even jeans haha 😂 to show my “flare” and “personality” at work (Kohl’s - end of 2011) and high school.
Have you ever been invited to an event or had something come up, but felt hesitant to say yes because well what do you do with the pets?! 🤷🏻♀️🤔 This is where Rover can help!
Rover allows you to see pet sitters in your area, their reviews, photos, etc plus their calendar availability. They allow you to easily set up a meet n greet to see if the person is a good match for your fur baby!
Looking for a dog sitter or walker? Use code “ISABED48071” to get $20 off your first booking with me on Rover: https://www.rover.com/sit/isabed48071
OR - hey do you need a part time job to fill your time??
Consider creating your own profile on Rover: I love being a pet sitter with Rover and think you will too. Rover is an awesome community of pet sitters and dog walkers that makes it easy to earn extra income on your schedule. I hope you'll join! http://sit.rover.com/3mvT2D
For some people with chronic pain, there may not be obvious evidence of an underlying reason. Managing chronic pain can be difficult.
“You know, a dog can snap you out of any kind of bad mood that you’re in faster than you can think of.” - Jill Abramson #quoteoftheday
When dealing with #migraine and #chronicpain with #fibromyalgia it’s easy to fall into a depression attack #mentalhealthawareness
You feel so alone. Struggling to deal with the fact it’s not as easy to do the “normal” things anymore.
Animals give us a sense of purpose. Something to wake up for.
They help you push through the hard days.
Since starting the occasional pet sitting jobs, I find I still wake up some mornings feeling like crud, not ready to start the day, but once I arrive to the home of the dogs and get started walking suddenly you feel your drive back. A reason to push through the pain.
That is all I have to share for now. I simply wanted to share this cool video I created - sorry for the no music 😬😬 originally created it to go on Instagram for Reels (where you pick the music on there), but even though I re-activated my account 🤫🤭😑😶 I still know I need a long break from social media - the constant highlight reel and the stuff that makes me get stuck in the comparison game.
I had dogs in the past growing up and very experienced with cats. At one point I have owned four cats at once. I love animals and they seem
