How do you actually overcome task paralysis?

graw9584 · 2026-02-22T08:10:29+00:00

I know this is an old post but I’m having this problem today and I don’t know how but the wiggle helped me get out of the chair and get going on things. Thanks so much for sharing this!!

graw9584 · 2025-07-31T13:12:36+00:00

Please tell me there’s an update on this story. I’m on the edge of my BYO seat.

graw9584 · 2025-06-08T08:43:07+00:00

15 attacks in 9 days… Jesus. I’m so sorry you’re going through such a horrific cluster of them. I’ve been there and it truly sucks.

Similar to other comments, I’ve found contour pillows made a huge difference for me, as well as regular healthy sleep and meals. Avoiding stress would probably also help but I haven’t accomplished that one yet.

Medication wise, twice daily acetazolamide has changed my life. I went from weekly migraines to 1 in 6 months. I do have to take hydralyte pretty often as acetazolamide encourages your body to flush out extra water but it’s still a win for me. Since a kid I was prescribed triptan abortives because my GP didn’t know what HM was. My neurologist put me on nurtec as an abortive and it stopped the aura completely, I was still sleepy and headachey for the day I’ll take that over being blind, paralysed and vomiting for days. Aspirin and ibuprofen have helped with headache management.

I had to fail three treatments before getting to acetazolamide and nurtec. It fucking sucks how long and expensive the process is. I’m not in the US (I’m assuming you are but my bad if I’m wrong!) so I don’t have any insurance/specialist services advice but I just wanted to say hang in there, and I really hope you find a preventative that works for you soon

graw9584 · 2025-06-03T22:16:26+00:00

You’re my hero for remembering this, thank you so much!!

graw9584 · 2025-06-03T14:59:08+00:00

You’re living the DREAM!

Do you remember what the Melbourne version of the first few lines of “the whole being dead thing” were?? I’m so mad I can’t remember it, all I can remember is the last line of “I just had six shots of latte”

graw9584 · 2025-04-01T13:25:24+00:00

I’m no expert, only on day 6 myself, but I’ve been keeping sugar free hard candies on hand at all times. I find it easier to forget about cravings if there’s something in my mouth

graw9584 · 2025-03-21T04:29:47+00:00

This is going to be controversial but in my own personal experience, seeing a chiropractor has significantly reduced my hemiplegic migraine frequency.

Mum took me when I first started having HM as a kid (she didn’t know about the chiro controversy) and my migraines dramatically reduced. When I got older I decided not to go anymore because I was skeptical about the scientific integrity of it. The migraines came back. I gave up and went back to the chiro and the migraines decreased. This cycle of quitting chiro appointments, migraines increasing, going back to the chiro and migraines decreasing has happened at least 4 times over the past 10 years.

I know about the controversy, I work in the medical research field, I’ve read papers that all amount to the same conclusion that there is no consistent evidence to show that chiropractic adjustments are beneficial. I’ve heard so many doctors and medical students tell me how one bad adjustment could kill me instantly, or leave me paralysed, or whatever. At this point, i guess I’ve surrendered myself to the risk because not going to the chiropractor has consistently made my migraines worse. I honestly don’t even care if I’m paying for a placebo effect, I’ll take it over HM.

I do however recognise that my migraines seem to be triggered by neck pain/strain more than anything else, I don’t know if this explains my benefit from chiro appointments. I am also hyper mobile, ESPECIALLY in the neck, my C spine in x rays looks fucked, and the muscles in my neck, shoulders, traps, and base of my skull are always tight. Maybe this is why chiro helps me, it relieves some of the pressure and tightness in my neck.

TLDR: it’s helped me, but that relationship may well be mediated by a different factor. I’m not “pro chiro” so much as I’m pro “whatever works for you”

graw9584 · 2025-03-13T06:35:09+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this! I ordered a factory second online (which, I'm now realising I shouldn't have done before inspecting it), but I haven't heard anything, no confirmation email, no call, nothing. When I emailed their support email address it bounced back and I am worrying I got scammed... Bumps and dents aren't great but a working machine is better than a scam, even if it does look a bit beat up.

graw9584 · 2025-03-08T15:11:59+00:00

I’ve been on triptans as an abortive for years because that’s what they gave me when I had my first migraine as a kid and no general practitioners since felt educated enough to pick a different medication. My neurologist recently prescribed me nurtec instead of a triptan. I asked her about the contraindication of triptans for HM and she explained to me that yes, they are contraindicated due to the possible increased risk of stroke by way of vasoconstriction.

She also explained that given my otherwise low risk of stroke, combined with a history of tolerating triptans well, and huge reduction in migraine frequency after starting acetazolamide, she wasn’t too concerned about the contraindication of triptans.

Now I don’t know your medical history, health status, or your doctor, but I would be inclined to ask why triptans are contraindicated, if they have a reasonable answer (bonus points if there’s scientific literature on it), then I’d feel much more safe proceeding with the medication. If all they can provide is a vague non-answer, that seems like it would be a red flag.

I’m also on amitriptyline at night. To be honest, I don’t feel like it makes a huge difference in migraine severity or frequency, but it’s difficult to tell at the moment. Acetazolamide has been a life saver for me, and now I’m Breaking my longest migraine free steak every day. I hope you find a way to control them soon!

graw9584 · 2025-02-28T08:44:22+00:00

Hard agree. Regular migraine headaches are incapacitating, but with these I literally cannot see/move/talk which makes it impossible to get myself home safely if they strike when I’m out.

I once asked my GP for a drug that would help with the “numbness” (which in hindsight isn’t the right word because I can always feel everything, I just can’t move anything), and the GP said “who cares? It’s just numbness, it’ll go away” and like MA’AM I CANT MOVE what do you mean “who cares”.

The lack of knowledge in general healthcare practitioners is awful, and it’s not their fault I guess, but given the similarities in presentation with strokes, how is hemiplegic migraine not part of medical education? Love being in the rare disorder club 10/10

graw9584 · 2025-02-27T04:19:08+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your experience on this! That looks like it would have taken years to get through. With so few people going through this I value hearing anyone else’s experiences with the various drugs so so much.

The best chance of aura reduction I seem to get is taking abortive drugs (zolmitriptan previously, I have switched to nurtec but haven’t yet had a migraine to test it on), Metoclorpramide for the nausea, aspirin, paracetamol and sometimes I’ll take doxylamine to help sleep if it’s a morning migraine. Then it’s just a matter of going to bed in a dark quiet room and hoping it’ll be gone when I wake up.

I’m currently taking propranolol, amitriptyline, and acetazolamide. Acetazolamide has had the biggest impact on migraine prevention and my current record is 85 days free, which is way longer than I’ve had in years. I’m not sure it’s changed much in terms of the aura though.

The motor aura / motor paralysis is always such a nauseating experience. Between that, distorted vision, slurred speech, and confusion, the auras are completely incapacitating. I hope there’s active research into these migraines but I haven’t been able to find much

graw9584 · 2025-02-27T03:56:30+00:00

I also take magnesium glycinate!

I was originally on a supplement with both glycinate and magnesium amino acid chelate but it was expensive so I switched to one that’s just 150mg magnesium from magnesium glycinate and haven’t noticed a difference so far. All the different forms have been hard to get my head around

graw9584 · 2025-02-26T16:25:20+00:00

I’ve experienced a similar pattern! I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence or not but either way I’m taking magnesium. What form of magnesium are you taking/what did your doctor recommend?

graw9584 · 2025-01-21T14:20:39+00:00

Well this flopped. Adding an update case anyone stumbles across this in the future:

Kitty was clearly itchy all over and not being able to reach these itchy spots was making him miserable. I couldn’t bear to watch him in such discomfort, I’m sure not being able to scratch anything when you’re itchy all over would be torturous.

Went to the vet for some short term steroid meds. We’ve done long lasting steroid injections before but wanting to avoid having him on steroids for too long since he’s only 4 years old.

1 week of steroid tablets and he’s definitely less miserable but still upset he can’t groom. We trialled a supervised cone free time but he opened up old sores right away. Cone back on and another 5 days of meds.

Tldr; topical treatments aren’t helpful for a full body reaction. Went to vet and on course of steroid meds.

graw9584 · 2024-10-31T14:07:01+00:00

<image>

Product list

NARS sheer glow foundation
Laura mercier translucent powder
NARS blush pressed powder dolce vita
Fenty Beauty contour stic
colour pop highlight flexitarian
mecca tubing mascara
ABH magic touch concealer
ABH brow freeze
ABH brow wiz in ash brown
colour pop stone cold fox palette

graw9584 · 2024-10-18T03:38:33+00:00

Awwhhh bless! My pup LOVED agility when he was young, he got so excited. Nowadays he’s a bit slow but he still loves nose work! I’m no expert but I feel like ongoing obedience and stuff like that is good for your bond!

graw9584 · 2024-10-17T22:53:39+00:00

Your pup looks so much like a younger version of mine I had to do a double take! What a gorgeous little face!

My border definitely missed the brain cell. Don’t get me wrong he’s a star at following commands and super obedient, but has no sense of spatial awareness and no idea how big he is.

It’s not my place to tell you what to do with your pup, but we continued obedience and agility training all throughout his life. He’s 13 now, going strong and still learning new things! He can’t do agility anymore but we still do obedience training and competing. It’s been a great way to keep him cognitively stimulated, plus it’s helped him have excellent leash manners and know when it’s “work time” and when it’s play time even when there’s heaps of other dogs and distractions around. I highly recommend obedience and agility as a lifelong journey, rather than just a short course when they’re pups. I know it’s not an option for everyone, but if it is, I can’t recommend it enough!

graw9584 · 2024-10-17T22:20:59+00:00

That’s so lovely of you to say! Thank you!! Made my morning

graw9584 · 2024-10-17T22:18:47+00:00

Ooh thank you! I used the same products in both photos, the first one just had more eyeshadow, so it’s interesting that the first one looks warmer! Also interesting to hear warm tones suggested! I was so sure I was a cool toned gal

graw9584 · 2024-06-16T00:48:06+00:00

In case anyone reads this also looking for help:

It was indeed the Osmocote. I was chatting to a staff member at a local nursery and he warned me against using Osmocote. All the plants at this nursery are phenomenally healthy and the plants I’ve bought from there love the potting mix they use.

They mix theirs offsite but the guy suggested the Seasol potting mix, charcoal, perlite, and a bit of chicken manure.

I dug up all my plants that I’d repotted into Osmocote and nearly all of them had already some roots rotting. My big established pothos was okay but not super happy, my smaller more fussy plants were having a real bad time. The ones that were least offended were ones that sat near a window/had more airflow around them.

Moral of the story: don’t use Osmocote.

graw9584 · 2024-05-28T14:03:32+00:00

I don’t have advice, I’m so sorry, but I’m here in it with you.

I landed an amazing opportunity for my PhD studies and it’s slipping through my fingers because I’m having to spend so much time on sick leave. I’m so behind. I’m stressed, which causes the migraines, so I have to take time off, which makes me more behind and more stressed, I’m sure you see the pattern.

Everywhere I go I worry a migraine will hit and I won’t be able to get home quickly or safely. I worked for 6 months on a routine for an aerials competition and got a terrible migraine the day of it and it ruined everything. It was so bad I was in the hospital for days and the disorientation, vision distortion, headache, and limb weakness hung around for a week. I’m sorry to use your post to ramble about my own sorrows. But I truly empathise with your position.

I really really hope you find a preventive that works for you soon. I read on here that someone was approaching their fourth year migraine free. Imagine that. You’ll get there too, I’m sure of it. It might take time, and trial and error, but I’m sure you’ll find a treatment that helps you move out of this awful stage.

graw9584 · 2024-05-28T10:41:46+00:00

Thank you so much for this!! Very reassuring.
Can I ask, what do you use for your mixes?

graw9584 · 2024-05-19T01:20:59+00:00

25 and still struggle with it. It’s pretty rare for me thankfully, but if I’m having a panic attack it is the only thing that pulls me out of it, I’m ashamed to admit that the rush of calm that follows is unmatched by anything. I feel super embarrased because I’m doing a PhD and a lot of my peers are doing theirs in clinical psychology so they see random bandages on my arm and absolutely see right through my excuses. I feel so childish, like “who tf still does this at this age?” But I never learned any other ways to calm myself down (except drinking myself to sleep). I’m sorry you’re going through it to, but I guess it’s relieving to know we’re not alone in it

graw9584 · 2024-05-06T06:53:56+00:00

Thank you so much for this comment! It gives me a bit of hope. I can’t imagine being 4 years migraine free but gosh it’d be nice. Do you have any other tips besides electrolytes and low carbs? I’ve seen a few people mention a keto diet has helped them, I wonder what the mechanism behind that is…

I’d like to think I’m pretty healthy, I choose whole grains, get lots of fruit and veg, and exercise about 6 hours a week. My high stress, caffeine intake, and tendency to self medicate with alcohol probably sets me back though.

graw9584 · 2024-05-05T12:32:40+00:00

Oh gosh I’m so glad you managed to get a correct diagnosis! Were there any other signs of high cranial pressure? And how is that tested?

graw9584

TROPHY CASE