Resilience is a key quality of those who cope well with life’s ups and downs.

In my experience of 30+ years of suffering with dizziness, vertigo and severe headaches, I have learned from my experience to create the Bell Method™ and I have developed resilience.

Due to my own desperation to feel better and to create a life for myself, I have eagerly studied the most advanced evidence-based Vestibular Rehabilitation strategies and self-care strategies from around the globe. I have personally faced and overcome the mental health overlay of confusion, nervousness, despair, hopelessness and suicidal ideation that is often a sequelae of chronic problems with dizziness or vertigo.

Physically, I am constantly battling to try to stay fit and in shape, since I have so many days that I cannot exercise due to dizziness or vertigo. I have become physically deconditioned multiple times in my life, losing my muscle strength and my cardiovascular fitness due to a lack of activity caused by dizziness or vertigo. But I maintain my resilience.

 

At all of my previous jobs, I have taken the maximum sick time allowed for employees. 

 

It has deeply impacted my family and friends who are constantly worrying or concerned about my health. Occasionally, I become a burden to those I love when I am totally incapacitated and in need of caregiving due to the severity of my symptoms.

On too many occasions during my most severe, debilitating episodes, I’ve had to humbly request emergency transport to the nearest hospital from friends, family, and co-workers.

The insight and innovation in my approach to my life, my health and my work is a direct offspring from my experience.

 

Had I not suffered so deeply for so many years, I would not have been as motivated to master this material and further develop new ideas and strategies to help myself feel better.

 

Now I have been able to integrate the insight from many different healthcare providers that I have personally consulted as a patient, and other experts who I have studied with in a course or mentorship format. I have pioneered my strategies in my own life and now I have reached thousands of people around the world who suffer like me.

I have written multiple 200+ page photo-enhanced training manuals and trained hundreds of US healthcare providers in my strategies. In turn, they have also reached thousands more people whom I have never met.

 

Now instead of asking, “Why me?”

I ask, “What now?”

And I eagerly await the lesson to be learned from my own experiences of intermittent discomfort from vertigo, neck pain, migraines, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, etc. The more I learn to care for myself, the more strategies I have in my clinical toolbox to care for others who suffer like me. And I develop more resilience.

I don’t wish it away anymore.

So I ask you to reflect on your own life with this question:

How can you become more resilient in order to cope with the challenges that you face?

 

Blog update on 1/30/18: I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior as of January 1, 2017. Now I rely on Him when I need resilience and renewal of my hope.

 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

– Philippians 4:13