Anxiety

Migraine at Work: Should You Tell Your Boss, and How Much?

How much should you tell your employer about migraine? Explore who may need to know, what to share, and how to ask for workplace support.

3 Strategies to Cope With Migraine Isolation & Feel More Supported

Three practical ways to make connection feel safer with migraine, communicate the support you need, and feel less isolated.

Invisible Pain, Visible Judgment: 50 Ways to Respond When Migraine Is Misunderstood at Work, With Friends, or With Family

Migraine stigma can exist even in loving families, when the people closest to us still cannot see what living with migraine really feels like.

When Grief Hurts Physically: Understanding the Migraine Connection

Can grief change your migraines? Discover how loss affects the brain and body and how to move through grief without forcing yourself to “get over it.”

Rebound Headache: When Migraine Medication Starts Feeding the Cycle

Could your migraine medication be feeding the headache cycle? Learn how rebound headaches develop and how to recognize and break the pattern safely.

The Migraine Hangover Nobody Talks About

Do you feel wiped out after migraine pain ends? Discover why the “migraine hangover” happens—and how to help your brain recover.

Why Treating Vertigo Anxiety Like “Just Anxiety” Keeps People Stuck

What if your vertigo anxiety isn’t “just anxiety” — but your brain and body reacting to feeling deeply unsafe and unsteady? In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explores the complex relationship between vertigo, dizziness, and anxiety. When the world feels like it’s spinning, your nervous system naturally shifts into survival mode. But too often, people are told to simply “calm down” without addressing what may actually be happening inside the brain and body. Blending neuroscience with a compassionate, holistic perspective, this episode helps you understand why the cycle of vertigo and anxiety can become so difficult to break — and what true regulation may really require. You’ll discover: 💡 Why vertigo and dizziness can trigger powerful neurological fear responses that feel impossible to “think away” 💡 How to tell the difference between anxiety creating symptoms versus symptoms creating anxiety 💡 What your nervous system may truly need to feel grounded, safe, and steady again This episode is a reminder that your symptoms are not “all in your head.” Sometimes, anxiety is not the root cause — but the consequence of a body and brain struggling to regain balance. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on [migraineheroes.com](http://migraineheroes.com) **References:** - **The Epidemiology of Dizziness and Vertigo (Neuhauser, 2016):** This chapter reviews the prevalence and population burden of dizziness and vertigo disorders worldwide. Read more [here](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27638063/). - **Chronic Subjective Dizziness and PPPD (Staab, 2012):** This review explains chronic subjective dizziness and the evolution toward Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD), emphasizing visual dependence, anxiety, and altered vestibular processing. Read more [here](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/23042063). - **Diagnostic Criteria for Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (Staab et al., 2017):** This consensus paper establishes the official diagnostic criteria for PPPD within the International Classification of Vestibular Disorders. Read more [here](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/29036855).  - **Vestibular Migraine (Beh, 2019):** This review is specifically titled _Vestibular Migraine: How to Sort it Out and What to Do About it_ and covers diagnosis, symptoms, and management. Read more [here](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/31094996). - **Vestibular Dysfunction and Anxiety (Jacob, Furman & Balaban, 2001):** This paper directly covers the interface between vestibular dysfunction and anxiety, replacing the weak Continuum citation. Read more [here](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11347651/). - **Multisensory Integration in Balance Control (Bronstein, 2016):** This chapter directly matches the topic of multisensory integration in balance control across vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems. Read more [here](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/27638062). - **Central Vestibular Disorders (Brandt & Dieterich, 2017):** This review focuses on central vestibular disorders and bilateral vestibular circuitry, which is a cleaner match than the earlier incorrect Brain citation. Read more[ here](https://www.nature.com/articles/nrneurol.2017.58). **Disclaimer**: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions. For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks. We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.

10 Warning Signs a Migraine Attack Is Coming & What to Do Before It Hits

What if your migraine doesn’t come out of nowhere but quietly whispers before it strikes? In this episode of **Migraine Heroes Podcast**, host **Diane Ducarme** helps you tune into the early signals your body sends before a migraine fully unfolds. By understanding these subtle cues, you can move from feeling caught off guard to feeling prepared, grounded, and in control. This episode blends neuroscience with practical, body-based awareness so you can respond earlier, not later. **You’ll discover:** 💡 How to spot the early warning signs of a migraine attack even the ones most people overlook 💡 What’s happening in your brain during the pre-migraine phase and why it can feel so unpredictable 💡 Simple, immediate steps you can take to ease the process and potentially reduce the intensity before it escalates This isn’t about fear or hypervigilance. It’s about learning your body’s language so you can act with clarity, not surprise. If you’ve ever felt like your migraine “just hits,” this episode will help you see the signs that were there all along and what you can do with them. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on [migraineheroes.com](http://migraineheroes.com) **References: ** - **Migraine Pathophysiology (Charles, 2018): **This review explains migraine as a complex nervous-system disorder rather than a simple vascular headache, covering genetic, anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological mechanisms. _Read more [here](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(17)30435-0/abstract)_**.** - **Premonitory Symptoms of Migraine (Kelman, 2004): **This study focuses on early warning symptoms that can appear before migraine pain, such as fatigue, mood change, food craving, and neck stiffness. _Read more [here](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/15447695)._ - **The Premonitory Phase of Migraine (Maniyar et al., 2014):** This paper shows that brain activation can be detected before the headache phase, especially in regions such as the hypothalamus and brainstem, supporting the idea that migraine starts before pain begins. _Read more [here](https://academic.oup.com/brain/article-abstract/137/1/232/363839)._ - **Biological Insights from the Premonitory Symptoms of Migraine (Karsan & Goadsby, 2018):** This review looks at what premonitory symptoms can reveal about migraine biology, including thirst, yawning, lethargy, and sensory sensitivity before headache onset._ Read more [here](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-018-0098-4)._ - **The Migraine Generator Revisited (Schulte & May, 2016):** This paper revisits the “migraine generator” idea and argues that hypothalamic changes may drive the migraine cycle through altered connectivity with the brainstem. _Read more [here](https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/139/7/1987/2464241)._ **Disclaimer**: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions. For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks. We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.