I've always heard that daith piercings are three things: painful, very painful, and super painful. I've always thought they looked really cool and super hardcore (something that I am not), but I've always been apprehensive to muster up my courage and get one.
Until 2019 began and I went all "new year, new adventures" and made an appointment to get my daith piercing.
It looks cool, right?
Although the looks are nice and definitely the benefits of me looking hardcore in the eyes of my peers is a plus, these weren't my reasons for getting the piercing.
Apparently, getting the daith piercing can do wonders for those with anxiety and anxiety-related headaches and migraines. It can have the same effects on the individual as acupuncture, as the bone daith piercings pierce through has a nerve that runs through it called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve helps keep a lot of the body's functions in check such as heart rate and breathing. Getting your daith pierced is like having that acupuncture constantly, because the piercing constantly presses into a pressure point.
So, I decided anything that can help with my anxiety is worth a try.
I had my first attack with the piercing about a week after I got it. One of the worst parts about my attacks are the headaches I get. They're always right over my right eye and it aches and aches so badly to where I don't even want to open my eyes. Sometimes, they get so bad, I get sick from them. So when I felt myself getting anxious to the point where I knew I'd have an attack, I already prepared myself for the worst.
But, surprisingly, the worst never came. I felt anxious, my stomach was a little upset but not too bad, but my anxiety attack trademark headaches never happened. My attacks usually last hours upon hours, leaving me exhausted and weak afterwards. But this time, my attack was only two hours. That may seem like a long time to some but for me, its a miracle.
Getting the daith piercing exceeded all of my expectations. But, it's good to do your research and have a little knowledge of what to expect:
- It will hurt. They have to push a needle through thick cartilage in your ear, so there will be pain.
- You'll bleed, but the amount honestly depends on the person. Some bleed a lot after getting pierced and some not so much.
- Make sure you clean it three times a day - these piercings are really prone to infections.
- Know that it doesn't work the same for everyone. Some have experienced a tremendous change in their anxiety and headaches and some haven't. But the success rate, is bigger than the non-success rate.
- If you do get it with the purpose of helping your anxiety related headaches, get the piercing on the side where your headaches occur.
Personally, getting this piercing has really helped my anxiety, especially with my headaches. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend it for anyone who needs relief from this!