Having Meniere’s disease can put anyone on an emotional roller coaster, you could have several days in a row where you haven’t had an attack and then out of the blue you start to spin and when you are finished your tired and very discouraged. I have been through that vicious cycle many times. As we have talked about many times what it does to our feeling of self-worth can probably be one of the worst aspects of this disorder. Don’t get me wrong the nausea and the spinning are horrible but the after bite of the sting of meniere’s seems to last for a long while.
So what do you do?
A couple weeks ago I went to see a doctor about my balance. He knew from my file that I had suffered from depression for many years and that I was still on anti-depressant medications. He asked if I had still had a counselor that I saw. When I told him that I hadn’t in many years he suggested that I reconsider and seek counseling. At first I didn’t like the idea. But then I thought about how the stress caused by meniere’s had made things terribly difficult for me. If counseling could help with that then why shouldn’t I try it? With meniere’s you shouldn’t turn down any help that you can get.
I have set up an appointment to see someone in a few weeks. I will go into with a positive attitude and hopefully it will do some help.
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Sunday, March 6, 2011
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10 comments:
I've had Meniere's for 4 years now (I'm 28 now) and recently have had the worst 8 months of continued attacks. Two months ago, I started counseling and I now finally feel a little more leveling out...not so much on an uncontrollable emotional roller coaster. We do "guided visualizations" and other relaxation methods to help ease the anxiety of an ever present surprise attack. That has truly helped. It has given me a "tool" to fight back during an attack and even after an attack. It helps me focus on the present, not to worry about what the future may hold. During an attack I focus on the fact that soon, it will be over, I'm safe and to just breathe. After an attack I focus on the positive of it being "over" for now and that I will be strong enough to fight another attack when it comes. Since there is a strong stigma associated with counseling I've used this as a tool to show other people around me that it is ok to ask for help. To me, it is a sign of strength and not a sign of weakness. I've already seen blessings for other people around me that struggle with other issues. Thank you for letting people know that it is ok to seek help not just for the physical issues related to Meniere's but for the emotional aspects that are a byproduct of this disease. Your blog has truly help me, thank you for sharing your experiences.
I'm really glad to see this topic come up. It's something I've been thinking about for awhile, particularly since I just lost my most recent job and am extremely depressed wondering how I'm going to get back into a job I can handle and hang on to it. For a 52-year-old who has had extreme problems with Meniere's, a surgery four months ago, and ongoing dizziness and headaches, the hurdles seem enormous.
I called a therapist even before I lost my job, but I have been dragging my feet a bit. Today, I called and made an appointment at last. I feel a little depressed about that, but I'm hoping that she will be able to help me sort out where I go from here. I'm not even sure that a job is the right answer... disability is seeming more and more like the way to go. But we'll see what happens.
David, good luck with your appointment. I hope it helps.
Thanks for your comments, Anonymous. I hope my therapist is able to help me the way yours has helped you.
Hi!
I´ve seen a therapist for two periods. The first when I got ill 9 years ago and the other when I was ill again three years ago. I was really depressed at the time and didn´t feel like life was worth living anymore. These are thoughts that are very tough for your nearest to listen to and it was a great relief to share them with someone outside the family. Therapy made the days between the sessions much better as I knew I had someone to talk to just a few days ahead. I´ve learned a lot about myself and my reactions but it is a hard work to do. For me it was of biggest importance to meet "the right therapist" for me. And I really did. After a year in therapy I started to take anti-depressionpills to increase (higher?) my seretonin level. I think that the most important thing I´ve learned from my counseling is to be more kind to myself and not to fight against Mr Meniére. It takes so much power to fight all the time. I can also stay calmer today when I have a vertigo-attack. And when I have a bad day, feeling depressed, I know there will be better days. Before the feeling of anxiety scared me.
David - what a good doctor you met who talked to you about counseling. Some doctors just look at the body and the part of it that´s not working properly. I hope you´ll find your own "best" therapist who can help you feeling better.
Susanna
Hi, Susanna. Oh, boy, do I relate to having those thoughts that your loved ones don't need to hear. But you do need to express them to someone! So much anxiety and fear to deal with that I don't know what to do with it all. And yes, I do expend a huge amount of energy on staying vigilant for symptoms. It's exhausting.
I hope the therapist I am going to see on Saturday is a good fit, because I don't want to waste a lot of time and money on people who can't help. I don't have the money after a year of sickness and no work, and I'm running low on tolerance for any further unproductive struggling.
Good luck Peggy! I hope that the therapist you meet on saturday is the one for you. It is a hard work but it´s really worth it. Putting words to all the bad feelings and thoughts I had inside helped.I hope it´ll help you, too.
Susanna
You're right with MD you really need to take all the help that you can get! Nobody has ever taken into account how MD actually affects me in terms of feeling depressed, I'm glad that they have offered to help you through counselling - i might have to seek out some for myself!
Lisa x
Everything I've read about Meniere's mentions that all those who suffer from it end up very anxious and depressed about what it's done to their lives and the unpredictability of the attacks. It seems only logical to me that therapy should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan for Meniere's.
It took me quite awhile to bring myself around to seeking that kind of help, but now I'm glad I'm doing it.
The therapist I'm planning to see is not only a therapist, but she's also a life coach. I think I could really use that, since I have no idea now what kind of "career" I should be considering for the future or how to pursue that side of my life now.
thanks everybody for the comments
David
Had my first session with the therapist today. She had not heard of Meniere's before, and as I gave her the blow-by-blow description of the attacks and treatments over the past couple of years, I could tell she was blown away.
I'll be going back to see her for awhile to see if we can achieve my goals of re-establishing my emotional balance and developing a plan for re-inventing myself for a future career that I can't envision clearly yet on my own.
thanks for the comment Peggy
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