u/sleepyskunkk

i am a 22 y/o woman who has had migraines for 6 years. they became extremely frequent and prolonged when i was a freshman in college (18), to the point of having to go to urgent care several times, not being able to walk/speak/eat, or even open my eyes because it was so painful. the pain was traumatizing, and caused me to feel extremely depressed and anxious. school and work became very hard to keep up with so after months of waiting i got an appointment with a neurologist.
she diagnosed me with occipital neuralgia, and we started a treatment plan, trying preventative and emergency medications. i saw the tiniest bit of relief, so we tried botox which completely changed my life. the botox brought me so much relief over time, and i hadn't had an ER visit since.
over time, the botox started to be less effective, typically wearing off after 2 weeks and leaving me in pain until the next round 3 months later. i did my best to push through and try to ignore it, but the pain kept worsening again. i pushed through my final semester by constantly using delta 9, which sucked because i was constantly in a daze. i became emotionless, falling asleep all the time, forgetting everything, missing out on seeing friends because i felt so numb. the illusion that everything was okay shattered when i had a job offer retracted due to my THC usage (even though i explained it was for chronic migraines and provided a letter form my neurologist).
i surrendered to the pain and slept all day, just to be high at night, isolating myself and feeling like i wasn't real. the pain was terrible and i was too tired to fight it. i finally opened up to my parents about how bad it was, and we decided to ask my doctor about the surgery. after a month of preparation, i got the surgery.
it's been two weeks and i've already seen improvement, aside from the incision pain. it's weirdly good to have a different kind of pain. i'm hopeful it will relieve pain, but it's too early to tell how effective it will be, because i'm still healing. i'm optimistic this could be really good. i will be updating over the next months :)
i'm making this post to bring awareness and also to find other people who understand this kind of suffering. it has taken me to very dark places, and i want to lend a hand for people struggling with this nightmare. i hope this may bring u comfort, and feel free to reach out to me xx

i've been dealing with chronic migraines caused by occipital neuralgia for 6+ years. i am a 22 y/o woman and im sick and tired of having to defend myself. i hate when people refer to a passing headache as a migraine!! or say they know how you feel. or call it lazy when you have to leave work early or not come in. or call it an excuse when you cancel on plans. it's like a slap in the face.
i reached a breaking point recently where i just listened to my body. i didn't force myself to fight a migraine to please other people. it's been both a relief and extremely isolating. i used to rely on delta 9 products to be able to function socially, because almost immediately i would get pain from the noise and anxiety of being out of my home. it's been extremely helpful, but leaves me a stoned, stupid, silent shell of who i am.
we tend to sugarcoat the severity of our pain to make others feel more comfortable.
the truth is: this is a disability. it's not a choice, nor an exaggeration. we are valid in our pain and people need to understand that. there are so many of us that are suffering alone, only connected thru a screen. we deserve better. we need more friends willing to bring us a coke and fries to our bed, or a family member to help take out the trash. spouses that don't guilt you for your condition.
we have a voice! educate people around you! they may never understand our suffering, but they can try.
much love

hey first post here ! i recently started taking accutane and it's giving me nothing to pick at... i mean NOTHING! and it's great but at the same time im desperate for a good picking session.

unfortunately, my brain has decided picking at my nipples is a good idea. they are always scabby on the areolas and underboob and it's rly shameful. i have had my nipples pierced for 3 ish years now, and they are always irritated and crispy bc i can't stop. i'm stubborn and don't want to let go of my piercings unless they're infected.

any advice for how to stop, scarring prevention, or treatment?

xoxo hope u have a great day fellow people with bugs in their skin<3