Praying for others eased Anita’s pain after suffering migraines for 20 years
Battling chronic migraines for nearly 20 years left Anita Wilson feeling depressed and desperate for relief. But when she began focusing on others in her daily prayers, a true miracle happened!
Oh, no, not again! Anita Wilson winced as an aura of blinding light suddenly flashed before her eyes while she walked across a store parking lot.
“I’m so sorry,” she stammered as she stumbled right into a man. “That’s okay,” he said, kindly. No, it’s not okay, Anita thought, bracing herself for yet another crushing migraine.
Anita was 34 when she suddenly started getting excruciating headaches. The pain would be so severe that she’d get physically sick, leaving her unable to get out of bed for hours, sometimes even days.
Over the years, Anita tried a variety of drugs, but none brought relief. Acupuncture, while helping her relax, didn’t ease the pain either. And cranialsacral massage minimized the frequency of her headaches, but like other holistic treatments, it wasn’t covered by her insurance.
“Please, God, make the pain stop,” she’d beg. But Anita’s migraines raged on,
causing her to become frustrated…even angry. “Why aren’t You helping me, God?” she’d cry. Afterward, she’d feel a pang of guilt realizing there were many other people suffering from all kinds of physical and emotional pain who needed help too. So the next time she felt a migraine coming on, instead of praying for relief, Anita tried something different. She sent up a prayer for her friends and family in need of comfort. And something amazing happened: Anita filled with a deep sense of calm, and somehow, her headache didn’t seem as severe or last as long. Maybe I’m on to something here, she thought as a ray of hope filled her heart.
A potent pain reliever
Inspired, Anita reached out to her church, friends and neighbors and compiled a prayer list. From then on, at the first hint of a migraine, she would sit in a quiet place and focus her thoughts on someone from the list. She’d breathe deeply and think about the person and their situation, then pray for God’s blessings and comfort for them. Other times, she would just think positive, healing, loving thoughts for them.
To her surprise, Anita found that praying for others worked better than many of the medications she’d tried— and a little research helped her understand why: Studies show practices like prayer or meditation, which evoke feelings of love and kindness, have a calming effect on the body, lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce stress hormones and pain.
“The hope and healing I wished for others strengthened my mind and spirit enough to believe that I could overcome my own pain too,” Anita confided to a friend. And, overcome, she did! Today Anita, now 53, continues to use the power of prayer to dramatically reduce the pain of her migraines.
“I’ve found that what we put out there for others comes back to us,” Anita says with a smile. “I still have a chronic illness, but praying for others to be happy and well has helped me find my own joy and wellness in life!” — Gina Roberts- Grey
“Prayer reduces stress hormones in minutes and can be incredibly healing— even if you’re not religious” — Harold G. Koenig, M.D.