Dizziness and Vertigo Make You Anxious? (ICU - "I See You" podcast, Ep 18)

As you know, dealing with vestibular disorders can take a toll on a person’s mental well-being. Feelings of stress, sadness, and uncertainty about the future are common, and these emotional responses can manifest as anxiety. Anxiety and vestibular symptoms can create a vicious cycle where one exacerbates the other, and it’s ever so hard to break that cycle. Addressing anxiety in people with vestibular dysfunction often involves a multifaceted approach that may include vestibular rehabilitation therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, and medications if necessary. By addressing both the physical symptoms and the associated anxiety, people can better manage their condition and improve their quality of life. Today we’re going to be talking with psychologist, Joanna Wolfson, and vestibular patient, Lauren Colella, about why anxiety is so prevalent among people with vestibular dysfunction, and what are some practical things you can do to manage it.

This podcast is a co-production of the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) and Unfixed Media. https://unfixedmedia.com/

About the Guests:

Joanna Wolfson, PhD, ABPP is a senior psychologist at Rusk Rehabilitation, NYU Langone Health, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, completed her internship at NYU Rusk, and did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Manhattan VA in Health Psychology and Primary Care. She is board certified in clinical health psychology. Dr. Wolfson provides individual and group psychotherapy to patients with a wide range of medical presentations, including vestibular conditions. She co-leads a vestibular stress management group, which has been running for the past 8 years. She also supervises interns in the field of health psychology and presents on topics including integrated healthcare, motivational interviewing, and health anxiety.

Stefanie Adams suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries and had her third concussion in 2017. As soon as she hit her head she felt off-balance and started to sway. Over the next year she developed terrible migraines and dizziness. Eventually the migraines left, but the dizziness stayed. A year later she discovered that she had a perilymph fistula (a hole in the membrane separating the middle and inner ears). When she got the flu, she blew her nose and the room started to spin. She’s had surgery to repair the fistula and is now a VeDA Ambassador and vestibular advocate. In her professional life, Stefanie is an Account Manager for a healthcare communications agency.

Hosts:

Cynthia Ryan, Executive Director of the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) https://vestibular.org/

Kimberly Warner, Founder and Director of Unfixed Media https://unfixedmedia.com/

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If you are experiencing vertigo, tinnitus, dizziness, imbalance, brain fog, or other balance-related symptoms, VeDA may be able to help. To learn more about vestibular conditions and get help finding a diagnosis, treatment, coping tools, and support visit https://vestibular.org/

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