I am new to the board and wondering if anyone else has noticed that keeping physically busy actually HELPs their symptoms? I know there is a wide range of symptoms out there and in many cases physical movement will make people feel worse, but for me, the best thing I can do seems to be to actually get out and do physical work. It’s like it’s a distraction and the large movements of the body, along with visual focus on larger objects at varying distances (as opposed to the one thing close up, like a screen or a book) seem to keep the feelings at bay. Of course if I stop to think how great I’m feeling I can then still notice the fogginess in the background (so it’s not like it actually disappears) but I guess I am able to ignore it a lot better. Same goes for social distraction (talking to others) although to a lesser degree.
Sitting still watching TV or at the computer, or lying down, really brings fogginess to the fore. Pity I spend ten hours a day sitting at a computer… !
Anyway, just interested to hear if any others have found the same things also work for them.
Yes keeping busy does help me a lot , when I first got this I couldnt really do anything I was so ill but I improved a lot after the first month or so (possibly had VN first) so I think I compensated quite abit from that.
But Im like you sitting down can be worse and normally is moving seems to help quite a bit.
I would recommend to anyone to move as much as you can .
The other week I was shopping for a new car and I was so excitedit about that I didnt even think about being dizzy all day for the first time ever .
When i got home it hit me though but I had the best day and felt nearly normal but I go through good and bad days with this thing.
I agree. The best thing for me is to keep moving. I also sit at a computer 8 - 10 hours a day, which is torture for me. But taking frequent breaks and just walking away does me a world of good. When I feel the worst is when I need to move the most. It feels to me like internally my body is sensing movement when I am actually sitting still so getting up and moving relaxes my mind a bit as what I am feeling and what I am doing actually match for awhile.
Strange condition MAV is …
What is it Dory in FINDING NEMO says? ‘Keep on swimming’?
Yes - it helps to be active. When I’m not moving, the dizziness is much more apparent - likely because I’m not giving myself anything else to focus on. There are those days, however, when symptoms are bad enough that the meds can’t keep up - and pushing through becomes difficult, if not impossible.
Yes, even when I was very sick, generally speaking it was better to push through and force myself to remain in the life of the living the best I could. This included working full-time. There were the days where I simply needed to rest, but I found if I allowed myself too many of those days I only felt worse and felt the pull to start wallowing in my misery. Keeping busy is a distraction and sometimes actually makes the symptoms better. Of course there are times when nothing helps. I found the only way to know if pushing through would work was to try each day and see what happened. The results varied depending on the status of my triggers. NEVER GIVE UP!
Absolutely! It is natural to focus on such horrible symptoms, which causes anxiety and makes them feel worse. I think that we adapt better when we keep moving (if possible). Our minds are focused on something else. Plus, i am the same, I can’t feel the rocking if I am moving about.
Yes I totally agree! Whenever I am moving around it helps and when I am keeping busy with something I don’t notice it as much. I am better when I am working on a project or keeping my mind busy. Once I start to sit still I can notice the rocking a lot more. It is really bad in class where I have to pay attention and sit very still for a long time. It is also worse for me at movies. I don’t know if it’s because of the motion on the screen or the sitting still. At both places I always want to get up and leave. I don’t know if it’s becuase of my dizziness, if I’m anixous, or a little of both.
Ashley
I find drawing helps - even though I sit still for this. I’ve been reading around the subject of mindfulness and mindful meditation and I wonder whether the total absorption in the task I get from drawing somehow calms the mind. It’s not passive like tV watching or even listening to music or someone talk which I find not as helpful. This is the mind actively engaged in a creative task. Plus I draw my kids a lot which helps me feel near to them when I feel so far from them in reality due to the MAV (I see the MAV as a barrier between them and me - it’s heart=breaking).
I’m sorry to hear about the impact MAV is having on your relationship with your kids. That is rough. I had some relationship repair to do with my two girls after I started emerging from the fog. The only advice I can think to offer is don’t withdrawl from them without at least trying explain what you are going through, assuming they are old enough to understand at least at some level. My heart goes out to you.