In this episode of the ICU Podcast, we explore how humor and gratitude can become powerful tools for coping with chronic vestibular disorders. Living with dizziness, vertigo, or imbalance can often feel isolating and overwhelming—but laughter and thankfulness can help restore balance to both body and mind. Research shows that humor can lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, boost immune function, and even trigger endorphins—our body’s natural painkillers. Similarly, practicing gratitude has been linked to better sleep, improved mood, and enhanced overall well-being. Our guests—a vestibular patient who’s found resilience through laughter, and health coach Hilary Russo, creator of the “HIListic” approach to mindful self-compassion—share how humor and gratitude have transformed their healing journeys and offer practical ways to bring more lightness and appreciation into everyday life.

Guest Bios

Mary Ziegler was once reliable, hard-working, and a dedicated wife and mother. But when Meniere's disease and vestibular migraine hit, she had to leave her job and stop driving. One of the things Mary misses the most is helping other people. She misses parties with friends and family. But she has devised ways to dwell in joy and gratitude. She likes being a VeDA Ambassador because it allows her to help people in Chicago, where she lives, and all over the world. She is grateful for her family and friends, and for the doctors who recognize her as an expert in her condition.

Hilary Russo is a certified trauma-informed holistic mental health practitioner and health coach, one of only 50 certified Havening Techniques® Trainers globally, and one of the first 100 Certified Havening Practitioners in the United States. Due to her work in Havening and trauma-informed care, Hilary is a recommended referral partner with the nationally recognized Amen Clinics for brain health. Her extensive background in media and military life gives her a unique perspective on working with secondary trauma, chronic stress, and burnout. She is the host of the globally top-rated podcast HIListically Speaking® and creator of the HUG it Out® Method, which reminds you to access self-healing through Humor, Understanding, and Gratitude and be a Pioneer Practitioner™of your own life. Connect with Hilary at hilaryrusso.com, on social @hilaryrusso, or on her Substack, The Brain Candy Blueprint.

In this episode of the ICU Podcast, we explore the powerful relationship between the mind and body—and how that connection can be both disrupted and harnessed in life with a vestibular disorder. From the ways stress and anxiety can amplify dizziness to the grounding effects of mindfulness, movement, and self-compassion, we’ll discuss the science and lived experience behind mind-body healing. Through personal stories and expert insights, listeners will discover how cultivating awareness, patience, and inner balance can help restore a sense of control and resilience on the path toward recovery.

Guest Bios

Sandy Brunner describes herself as an awesome stay-at-home mom and an okay housewife. Pre-kid, she was a speech-language pathologist and blogger for Life Without Land Legs. Sandy started her vestibular journey with Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, or MdDS, on a trip to Europe in 2018, adding vestibular migraine, PPPD, and cervicogenic dizziness to her vestibular bingo card along the way. She was in VeDA’s first season of the Life Rebalanced Chronicles docuseries. When she’s not doing mom stuff or at the gym, she is planning parties, going on random adventures, organizing something, reading, or doing crafts.

Donna McArthur, DC has been a chiropractor for thirty years, sharing a wellness-based practice with her husband in the mountains of British Columbia. She provides patient-centered care aimed at restoring function to the neuro-musculoskeletal system, utilizing evidence-based therapies and drawing on her deep knowledge of biomechanical, neurological, and fascial approaches. Her work is grounded in a heart-centered, integrated philosophy of healing.

Donna is passionate about offering people tools and choices that empower their own wellness—something she brings to her clinical practice, writing, and teaching. With a focus on general family practice, she has extensive training and experience supporting both pediatric and geriatric patients.

You can follow Donna on Substack.

Welcome to this episode of the ICU Podcast, where we shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked world of vestibular migraine, a condition that affects more than half of all migraine sufferers at some point yet remains frequently misdiagnosed. Vestibular migraine can cause not only headaches but also vertigo, dizziness, imbalance, and sensory sensitivities—making it a formidable challenge for both patients and clinicians. Today, we’re joined by two remarkable guests: a dedicated volunteer with the World Migraine Summit (taking place March 11 – 18) who brings lived experience and advocacy insight, and Dr. Brian Ward, a neurotologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Together, we’ll explore how lifestyle management, medication, and other targeted therapies can help restore balance and hope to those navigating vestibular migraine.

Guest Bios

Dr. Bryan Ward is a Neurotologist with Johns Hopkins University who specializes in treating inner ear and skull base disorders that cause dizziness, such as superior canal dehiscence syndrome, Meniere’s disease, and bilateral vestibulopathy. His research interests focus on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and interactions between strong magnetic fields and the inner ear. He also works with Dr. Charles Della Santina on the development of a vestibular implant.

Natanya Mandel is a migraine coach, mindfulness facilitator, and passionate patient-advocate whose own journey with frequent migraine attacks and disruptive neurological symptoms inspired her to shift her career and support others living with migraine and chronic pain. Natanya has volunteered with groups like Migraine Canada and the Migraine World Summit, facilitates virtual support groups, and helps people navigate the challenges of chronic migraine with compassion and evidence-informed guidance.

Migraine World Summit

Natanya’s coaching