“I’ve been diagnosed with a vestibular disorder. My community has no support group for dizziness. I don’t know where to turn. Can you give me a plan of action?”
These are the feelings of many people affected by dizziness! It is not always easy to find support in your community; you end up seeing quite a few professionals and they are not always on the same page with your diagnosis and treatment plan. You may be left with uncertainty about what you can expect in the future.
You are encouraged to do the following:
- Get informed (learning more about your vestibular disorder is a start) and then clarify with your healthcare professionals what their treatment plan is. Ask as many questions as you need.
- Once you feel you have a direction to follow for treatment, stick with it for a set amount of time. Six weeks is a reasonable time frame. During this time, try your very best to stick with the treatment plan and to stay positive.
- While COVID restrictions are in place, look for virtual classes to help with dizziness and imbalance. Consider downloading our Gaining Balance video ($10). It has 35 minutes of vestibular rehabilitation exercises and is led by a vestibular rehabilitation specialist. The exercises are intended for home use with no special equipment.
When COVID restrictions ease, use the online resources of our Society and your local sources to find support. If there are no specific dizziness support groups in your community, look for fitness groups that include some balance exercises. You can also look for tai chi classes and classes designed for falls prevention. You will most likely find other people dealing with similar issues.
At the end of your “trial” with this plan, reassess your symptoms and your goals. You may find that you were on the right track, or you may need to start on number one all over again and try a different treatment plan.
Keep in mind that, even if you need to go back and follow a different course of action, that is okay. It will not be forever. Give yourself again about six weeks time and reassess. Stay in the present moment as much as you can, focusing on what you can effectively do right then and there.
