The Four Horsemen of Migraine Healing: Identifying and Overcoming the Roadblocks to Relief

According to Western medicine, #migraine is a chronic neurological condition that can cause severe headaches accompanied by a range of other symptoms, including sensitivity to light, sound, and movement, nausea, and vomiting.

For the record, the western medicine classification of migraine does not satisfy me nor do I accept it is a full explanation. I believe there are much deeper roots that cause migraine INCLUDING BUT not limited to stress, emotions and electricity but that is for another day. Everything I share is from my lived experience helping people help themselves get well and transform their migraine over 10 years. While migraines affect people of all ages, they are more common in women and can be debilitating, causing significant disruption to daily life.

According to the Jungian theory of archetypes, the human psyche is made up of various universal symbols that represent our unconscious patterns, behaviors, and motivations. Four of these archetypes, namely the #child, #victim, #saboteur, and #prostitute, can be particularly relevant in understanding the resistance to healing experienced by people with migraines.

The Child

The child archetype is associated with innocence, curiosity, and playfulness. In the context of migraines, the child represents the part of us that wants to retreat from adult responsibilities and escape from the pain and discomfort of the condition. The Child Archetype can have a variety of different joyful aspects, but in the shadow, behaves as a disempowerment tool. You may find yourself living in the past or in a fantasy world, where taking responsibility is unnecessary. Who are you blaming for your current situation? The Child tends to want to assign blame. There is an inability to “grow up,” meaning dependency, lack of progression, stagnation and not taking responsibility for one’s actions. The Child can prevent you from healing from your past and going forward because this archetype never really wants to grow up, face the music and get down to business. The child may also be afraid of taking action to address the migraine, preferring instead to indulge in comforting activities that provide temporary relief.

The Victim

The victim archetype is characterized by a sense of powerlessness, helplessness, and a feeling of being victimized by circumstances outside of one's control. The root of the Victim archetype is a fear that you cannot survive or will not survive. Not just physical survival but the survival of your identity, your hopes and dreams or sense of self. Deep down there is a belief that you don’t deserve to thrive and the Victim is a way to have passive control over your life.

All victims are entitled. It may take you some time to see your own sense of entitlement but it is important to identify it to be able to transform this interesting archetype from shadow to light. Working through the Victim may be the most difficult thing you do but it is the most life altering as well. People with the victim archetype want to blame anything or everything such as parents, religion, barometric pressure, money….their own body.

The Saboteur

The shadow Saboteur disrupts our personal goals and prevents self improvement. It is the secret agent planting the roadblocks on our inner paths that are meant to take us further in life. The saboteur is concerned only with security and keeping you in your comfort zone. It causes stagnation and convinces us that doing nothing is better than making the wrong choice. The saboteur immobilizes us and convinces us that we have no choices or that we are better off where we are.

The saboteur archetype is associated with self-sabotage, resistance, and avoidance. People with migraines may find themselves sabotaging their own healing by continuing to engage in behaviors that exacerbate their symptoms, such as consuming trigger foods or failing to prioritize self-care practices that promote their wellbeing. The saboteur may also manifest in resistance to treatment, including medication and alternative therapies. Classic saboteur behavior is wanting to know more information before they act. The problem with this is there will never be enough information to satisfy your inner saboteur because it is in place to protect you but from actual life threatening emergencies like being chased by a tiger.

The Prostitute

The prostitute archetype is often misunderstood, as it is associated with selling oneself for profit or gain. In the context of migraines, the prostitute represents a willingness to compromise one's values, needs, and self-care in order to avoid the pain and discomfort of the condition. People with migraines may continue to engage in activities or behaviors that are detrimental to their health in order to avoid missing out on social or professional opportunities.

The prostitute archetype will sabotage your efforts because it is afraid of what you must leave behind, let go of, and the unknown future and potential ahead.

If you find yourself in the prostitute archetype, you will be more concerned with physical appearance and safety than your personal growth and integrity. You will compromise yourself and your truth. This may mean that you take a job that you do not enjoy simply for the money, or you may sell yourself out by staying in a relationship that you know is bad for you.

Understanding these archetypes and how they relate to our experience of migraines can help us identify and overcome the unconscious patterns that are preventing us from healing. By recognizing the child, victim, saboteur, and prostitute within ourselves, we can shift our mindset and take proactive steps towards wellness, such as seeking treatment, prioritizing self-care, and developing a support network of like-minded individuals.

In conclusion, migraines can be a complex and challenging condition, but by going deep and looking under the hood approach to understanding our unconscious resistance to healing, we can transform our relationship with the condition and take control of our health and wellbeing. It's time we meet and welcome our archetypes. We can be the voice of change and healing in our lives!