Never ASSUME

Have you ever heard the expression: Never ASSUME, for it makes an ASS out of U and ME?

Even worse than making an ass out of someone, assuming eliminates possible solutions. You cut off paths of exploration right at the beginning. For example, If you don't know what is causing your migraines, HOW CAN YOU ASSUME WHAT WILL OR WON'T HELP YOU? If you haven't personally checked out/experienced a possibility, how do you know that it won't work?

FOR EXAMPLE : I used to assume that supplements were good for me, and that the headache I was getting when I took them had to be from something else. I finally examined the ingredients of my supplements. It turned out that something in the gelatin capsule was giving me a headache.

Assuming leads to not listening, to thinking you already know something (so you don't pay attention to what anyone or anything is trying to tell you).

It cuts off your lines of communication -- not just with others, but with yourself. The most important individual you should communicate with is yourself. Your inner voice, your intuition, your inner knowing, your own observations, your gut reaction -- whatever you call it -- is your best guide.

More than anyone else, you have the opportunity to discover (if you pay attention and listen) what your pain feels like, what seems to trigger it, how long it lasts, what warnings it gives you, etc.

FOR EXAMPLE: if something you eat triggers a migraine, how quickly do symptoms appear after you eat it? Say the delay is within 30 minutes. If you're at a restaurant or a social function, you could have just a little bit of something you suspect might be a trigger, then wait for 30 minutes before you finish the rest of it. Simple? It can makes the difference between having a terrible headache or a pleasant evening.

Assuming can cause you to accept what you hear and read and are told, without verifying it. You need to look out for yourself. No matter what authorities you turn to for information or recommendations, in the end you have to use your own intuition, your own common sense and your own powers of observation to help you decide what makes sense for you.

FOR EXAMPLE: You notice when you eat certain packaged foods that you get a headache. Eventually you figure out the ingredient -- common to all of these foods -- that is giving you a problem. You then avoid this ingredient in the future, wherever it turns up -- no matter how terrific the label on the package says the product is, or what any 'authority' says about this product. If your own body says avoid it, you avoid it.

Assuming can lead you to miss the benefits of a solution because you fail to tailor it to your needs. Even the best advice will most likely have to be tweaked or customized in some way for you. There is enough variation among people that even drugs do not have the same effect on everyone. Don't assume that because something does or does not work for someone else, it will have the same effect on you. Similarly, don't assume that the way a technique or supplement or whatever is presented,that is how you must use it. You have to stay open to experimenting with techniques or even combining them.

For example: I found a magnetic tape that helped me to stop headache pain -- but not by using it in the way that was recommended. I combined the tape with acupressure to make it work best for me.

Assuming cuts you off from the help/information/experience of others, and makes you go it alone. Migraines are a heavy enough burden; trying to rid yourself of them all by yourself is an unnecessary restriction. Be open to the ideas and experiences of others.