Saturday Night Live

I'm casually fitting in the last three MHAM blog challenge posts.

How does humor help you cope?

They say laughter is the best medicine, or at least I think it is. I know when I went to a comedy club for the first time, I had the time of my life and felt GREAT! Humor is a great distraction from pain and causes an endorphin release. This chemical raises our ability to ignore pain. It's also released during exercise, excitement, and sex (not that I'm saying you should be a huge slut to relieve pain). Oh man that came out wrong (that's what she said).

Okay back on topic: This last month has been hell for me because I added whole body pains and joint pain on top of my already pesky migraines. So I decided that no matter how I felt, I was going to see the new comedy, "This is the End" in hopes that I'd feel better. I always liked those stupidly funny movies because they make me laugh no matter how crude they are. At the end of the movie, I was feeling pretty good. It wasn't to a point where I was able to climb a mountain, but at least I got to relax before the next day arrived.

So how do we keep laughter in our life? Here are some good tips:

1. YouTube - I'm pretty sure the funniest videos I've seen were on YouTube. People upload the craziest stuff. When you're feeling sore from working all day, take a break and check out a few good videos on YouTube like "Charlie Bit My Finger" or "David After the Dentist." Get those chemicals working!

2. Movies - There are endless amounts of great comedies that will leave you slapping your knee. Any Judd Apatow film is recommended. I don't know how he does it, but he makes films that just make you shake your head and smile.

3. Vine - This new app is a 6 second sensation that has kept me giggling for hours before. Many comedians use it to keep us all entertained while they search for inspiration for larger bits.

4. Friends - Having a night with friends can lead to many laughs. Whether someone has a horrible date to share or their kids did something nuts, you can be assured that you'll be chuckling. Guess what...it's free! That's the great part about laughter among friends! You might not be feeling the greatest, but invite some friends for a nice dinner and share the "war stories" to get some endorphins going.

I hope you keep laughter in your life even though it seems hopeless. Today's picture was on Facebook and I died laughing. Well I better scan YouTube for some good Key & Peele videos to chuckle before bed. Give me some ideas of good videos in the comment section.

Anger Management: Goosefrabba

How do you constructively deal with the anger and resentment that arises as a result of living with migraines?

If I said I didn't have anger or resentment, I'd be a liar and my pants would surely catch on fire. When you live life with uncertain pains and agony, why wouldn't you be angry? Migraines can sneak up and ruin a perfectly planned day. So how do I keep from losing my mind?

1. Music is king - Many on Twitter see my constant posts that say "Music is king" because I firmly believe music is the way to serenity. No matter what you're feeling, there's a song for that. If you want to cry, there are plenty of songs to let it all out. If you want to be distracted, then there's some great jams to dance to and take your mind off the pain. If you need to just be alone with your thoughts, you can play music while gathering yourself. 

2. Dance baby dance - When I get really mad, I find dancing is extremely therapeutic. I play my Dance Cardio Pandora station and let all the anger out. My dog gets confused and thinks I want to play so that always turns interesting.

3. Watch a movie/TV - When I need to let all my emotions out, I tend to reach for my Nicholas Sparks movies. He's one sadistic man to create these sappy books, but the movies add the visual and make it that much sadder. "The Notebook," "A Walk to Remember," "Nights in Rodanthe," and "Les Miserables," "Armageddon" (just the last part when Liv Tyler and Bruce Willis say goodbye) all let me just flow those rivers out. I'm cleansed and ready for a new day!

4. Talk - We all have some kind of support system (friends, family, social media, therapist, doctor, etc) that is ready to listen. Please be open and honest to them. If you are having suicidal thoughts, then you need to get some help. No pain should be too much to leave behind the ones you love. 

5. Write - The great thing about writing is it can open gates to so many forms of creativity. You don't necessarily have to write about your pain, but some form of writing could be a distraction from your frustrations. You might have a best selling novel or award winning screenplay in your mind ready to pop out. Channel your anger into words and give all your expression to educate others. I wrote my emotions for one entire day and was amazed at the end of the day how many different things I felt with each type of pain. 

6. Paint - Some of the most amazing art can come from emotion. Get that brush ready for a masterpiece!