Over the past two months, I've been having quite a lot of vertigo attacks, which is extremely annoying and very inconvenient, as they can happen at any time, last however long and the extremity is unpredictable. Vertigo, unlike what Hitchcock made it sound, is not being afraid of heights, but is the feeling as if you and the world are spinning, tilting, going upside down, swaying... it's like your in the most violent and sickening and worst amusement park ride ever and you don't know when you will be able to get off it. It's different for a lot of people who experience vertigo, but for me when it initially hits you, I feel like I'm on those Tower of Terror rides where there is the sudden and aggressive drop and then it's as if you're getting thrown about, like the world is ripping apart. In summary, it's a living hell.
The first time I had vertigo, I had no idea what it was and the doctor told me that there are different causes of it, one of the most common being an inner ear problem which sends signals to the brain and pretty much stuffs you up with your sense of gravity and balance. I was sixteen/seventeen at the time and it lasted for an entire month. I had to take days off school and when I did go, I frequently visited student services to lie on the bed there, but no matter how much I tried to stay still, it would still feel as if I was spinning on a CD, as it was constantly occurring. There is no hesitation when I say that it was the worst month of my life.
I hadn't had any problems with vertigo until I moved to England. Since then, I've had five attacks:
1) at a laundrette and it was severely violent. All the colour left my face and I was extremely nauseous and couldn't see properly and was like a rag doll. It lasted nine hours
2) cooking with my flat mate in the kitchen and all of a sudden it hit me. I was by the bench, so was able to grab onto that before I collapsed, but I freaked my flat mate out because they didn't know what was happening and why I had to curl up on the ground clutching my head because the pressure was intense. But that lasted over an hour
3) while I was writing an essay, but luckily I was sitting on the floor at the time, so I didn't have far to fall, but it lasted about 40 minutes and set me back on my homework plan.
4) I was in the kitchen and putting my flatmate's bowl away when I felt like I was in an earthquake and I fell to the ground, dropping his bowl which smashed all over the place. I had to stumble to his room for help and later realised that I sliced my hand. This one was probably the tamest one I've had though, having only lasted half and hour, but still had a terrible headache after recovering balance.
5) what happened this Monday, I was doing some work on my laptop and it began again. It was still there the next day, but a lot better than what it was when it started, but I had to lie down in a class, felt very woozy and lightheaded and exhausted, with another constant bad headache, as if my skull was being crushed on either side.
Unfortunately, all I can do is ride them out, and just hope that they pass sooner rather than later. But I'm lucky to have such lovely and caring friends to help me when I do have these unexpected episodes, so a massive thank you to them and also to the ones who were there three years ago when I had vertigo for that month, because really it's one of the worst feelings ever and I feel so bad to ask for help at doing some of the simplest of tasks (eg. walking a few steps without falling or crashing into walls).
The first time I had vertigo, I had no idea what it was and the doctor told me that there are different causes of it, one of the most common being an inner ear problem which sends signals to the brain and pretty much stuffs you up with your sense of gravity and balance. I was sixteen/seventeen at the time and it lasted for an entire month. I had to take days off school and when I did go, I frequently visited student services to lie on the bed there, but no matter how much I tried to stay still, it would still feel as if I was spinning on a CD, as it was constantly occurring. There is no hesitation when I say that it was the worst month of my life.
I hadn't had any problems with vertigo until I moved to England. Since then, I've had five attacks:
2) cooking with my flat mate in the kitchen and all of a sudden it hit me. I was by the bench, so was able to grab onto that before I collapsed, but I freaked my flat mate out because they didn't know what was happening and why I had to curl up on the ground clutching my head because the pressure was intense. But that lasted over an hour
3) while I was writing an essay, but luckily I was sitting on the floor at the time, so I didn't have far to fall, but it lasted about 40 minutes and set me back on my homework plan.
4) I was in the kitchen and putting my flatmate's bowl away when I felt like I was in an earthquake and I fell to the ground, dropping his bowl which smashed all over the place. I had to stumble to his room for help and later realised that I sliced my hand. This one was probably the tamest one I've had though, having only lasted half and hour, but still had a terrible headache after recovering balance.
5) what happened this Monday, I was doing some work on my laptop and it began again. It was still there the next day, but a lot better than what it was when it started, but I had to lie down in a class, felt very woozy and lightheaded and exhausted, with another constant bad headache, as if my skull was being crushed on either side.
Unfortunately, all I can do is ride them out, and just hope that they pass sooner rather than later. But I'm lucky to have such lovely and caring friends to help me when I do have these unexpected episodes, so a massive thank you to them and also to the ones who were there three years ago when I had vertigo for that month, because really it's one of the worst feelings ever and I feel so bad to ask for help at doing some of the simplest of tasks (eg. walking a few steps without falling or crashing into walls).
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