Category: BookReview
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“Hidden from View”
A doctor I met on LinkedIn sent me a PDF of a book suggesting it might help me with my migraines; “Hidden from view: a clinician’s guide to psychophysiologic disorders” by doctors Allan Abbass and Howard Schubiner (2018). As the title suggests, I think it was designed for people who…
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“How to change minds”
When my neurologist told me that “more medicine doesn’t equal less pain”, I didn’t want to listen. When he told me that to heal, I needed to adjust my lifestyle and mindset, I became as prickly as a cactus. When he suggested that I should start doing meditation, yoga and…
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“In bed” by Joan Didion
Joan Didon (1934-2021) is an American writer and journalist. Her obituary in Vogue casually mentions: “She was afflicted by migraines and was frequently depressed, even wearing dark glasses through the wedding ceremony.” I found a picture on Joan’s website, and sunglasses indoors does appear to confirm she is a person…
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“Mindfulness and it’s discontents”
The more I learn about mindfulness, the more I discover there is also push-back. If mindfulness is a ‘movement’, then there are those who are advocates and those who are not. The internet is full of the first camp, and you don’t have to look too hard to find someone…
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Anxiety and migraines
Not too long ago I flicked through a self-discovery workbook that I found, titled “Wanting What You Have” (1998) by Timothy Miller (Ph.D.). The book had the feeling of a hybrid genre – part Cognitive Behavior Therapy (your thoughts influence your behavior which influences your thoughts) and part Buddhism (promoting…
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“Unleashing my inner power: Dare to dream”
I’ve mentioned before that I spend most of my reading-time in Blog-land, but I do occasionally get out and about on Instagram and LinkedIn. It was over on LinkedIn that I met Amber Horrox from the United Kingdom who “helps migraine warriors find their voice” when she regularly writes for…
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“The Migraine Brain”
“I’d rather die than get another migraine!” – that’s the dramatic start to the introduction of “The Migraine Brain” (2020) by Dr Carolyn Bernstein. It was attention getting, no doubt, but it also got me immediately on edge. I recognized the sentiment, sure, but I also think of that form…
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The Healing Art of Tai Chi
When my neurologist told me that “more medicine does not equal less pain,” he added that what I really needed to do was change my lifestyle and mindset instead. He wrote a list of things to try which included meditation and Yin Yoga. As I’ve written about before, the meditation…
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Healing with colour
I found myself with an hour to spare in the university library recently. On the shelf in the good health section, I came across a book titled “Color Healing Manual” by Pauline Wills (1993). As someone previously trained in design, I quite liked the idea of healing chronic pain with…
The Mindful Migraine 