Years ago, when I was in my mid-twenties, I was succumbed by migraines. The migraine headaches were intense. Electrical impulses of pain seared through my brain and caused my eyes to hurt. My speech was affected and would become slurred. Part of my face would droop a bit-a temporary paralysis. I would reach for the phone to notify someone for help and could not dial the number I knew all too well. My mind was clear. The brain could not send the right message to my fingers. The effects could last for days. There were times I laid in bed, the thick curtains drawn closed, and did my best to fall asleep to escape the intense pain. This may sound bizarre-I forced myself to vomit from the turbulence in my stomach. The acids built up to a high level. I actually felt relief once I vomited. It took me days to get back to normalcy-to a time I was no longer exhausted from the migraines’ wrath.
After having a 6-month long migraine I spent 10 days in the hospital. Two things were discovered by the head neurologist: a misconfiguration of blood vessels at the base of my skull-a genetic pre-disposition, and the realization dye used in the angiogram to find out about the blood vessels caused an allergic response. A neurosurgeon was consulted; there was nothing the medical staff could do. The dye propelled me into one of the worst migraines of all time. The neurologist recommended biofeedback and meditation. It took me 3 months to totally recover. I could not even drive for a period of time. Thank goodness I had long-term disability insurance with my employer.
The biofeedback and meditation training spanned over the next couple of months. Several techniques were taught to me. One was to focus on sending blood from my heart, to brain, and to several extremities. A finger thermometer was used to take and measure my pre-and post-temperature. With time, I learned to increase my blood flow and my body temperature. Another exercise was to envision my body as an elevator-the head as the tenth floor and the soles of my feet as the first. I sit with my back against the chair, shoulders back, feet flat on the floor. I relax and focus on slowing my breathing and envisioning my stress point at the top of my head and slowly move it southbound. I went from floor ten to nine and so forth. During the process, I learned to eliminate some stressful thoughts. I learned to calm my thoughts and take control of them. I learned to close my eyes and eliminate all external sounds like the bedroom clock or the sound of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
After biofeedback therapy had been completed, and with my subsequent practice, I coined the phrase ‘brain slapping.’ Brain slapping is the process of eliminating a constant or recurring thought upon its early entry of thought. Once a negative thought surfaces, causes me frustration, or unhappiness I replace it with a calm thought or a recent pleasant experience. To take a mental aspect of your body transforming it into a physical process for the elimination of a thought. Perhaps you can relate when you have a nagging thought or post argument dialogue replays over and over again. The thoughts can go on endlessly with no resolution. The depth of frustration and anger can be self-defeating even debilitating. Not only did brain slapping help me with migraines but, I began using it when I had an argument or disagreement with someone. I also use it when something bothers me like a news item I heard or when I have a problem I just cannot resolve. This requires practice; like a physical exercise to strengthen your muscles.
The reasons, the causes, the effort, and the results will vary. In the beginning, I was a bit dismayed with my results and it was quite difficult to focus and remove the external noises. Brain slapping is a habitual, self-help mindset. It requires practice, a place of comfort, and consistency. With all 3 of these comes a more streamlined and efficient process taking less time for the effective results.