Your Brain Doesn't Know the Relationship Is Over

Leaving a difficult relationship does not always mean your nervous system immediately feels safe.

In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explores why the brain may stay on alert long after the relationship has ended and how that ongoing sense of danger can affect sleep, pain sensitivity, and migraine.

You’ll learn:

💡 Why your brain can keep scanning for danger even when life is calmer

💡 How prolonged emotional stress may shape sleep, pain sensitivity, and migraine patterns

💡 Why imagined danger can still create very real physical reactions in the body

Understanding that connection can help you interpret your symptoms with more clarity — and begin to see what your nervous system may still be responding to.

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References:

Understanding Migraine Through the Lens of Maladaptive Stress Responses: A Model Disease of Allostatic Load (Borsook et al., 2012): This review explores how repeated stress and allostatic load may contribute to migraine biology. Read more here.

Association Between Intimate Partner Violence, Migraine and Probable Migraine (Cripe et al., 2011): This study found an association between intimate partner violence and migraine among women, without establishing causation. Read more here.

Traumatic Life Experience and Pain Sensitization: Meta-Analysis of Laboratory Findings (Nanavaty et al., 2023): This meta-analysis found a small association between psychological trauma and increased laboratory pain sensitivity. Read more here.

This podcast is for informational purposes only and isn't a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for health-related concerns.