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In this episode, Vanessa Blackstone, Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Clinic, shares her journey from debilitating migraines and trauma to recovery using Pain Reprocessing Therapy. She reveals her specific 4-step protocol for stopping migraines and explains why "powering through" pain is actually a form of nervous system dysregulation that keeps us stuck
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 🌟 Intro
02:53 🤕 Vanessa’s Story: Migraines Starting at Age 11
06:37 🏘️ Trauma, Foster Care, & “Over-Functioning”
09:56 🌫️ The “Foam Mattress” Feeling
12:41 🏆 Wearing Pain Like a “Badge of Honor”
18:26 📉 Hitting the Breaking Point in Grad School
22:42 🌊 “Urge Surfing” & Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention
24:36 👴 The Grandfather’s Advice That Changed Her Path
26:32 🧠 Finding Alan Gordon & The Early Days of PRT
29:55 🦄 The Trap of Feeling “Chronically Unique”
31:16 🛑 Why “Powering Through” Is Not Healing
34:48 💔 Navigating Grief & Loss Without Relapsing
37:03 🗣️ Re-framing Symptoms as “Needs” Not “Pain”
40:55 📊 Two Ways to Scale Sensation
43:18 📝 4 Steps to Navigate Migraines & High Pain
44:17 🛡️ Why “I Am Safe” Doesn’t Work for Everyone (Try “Safe Enough”)
46:00 🥾 Surviving an Extinction Burst
50:42 🧘♀️ The Practice of “Dropping In”
52:06 🛡️ Understanding Your Protective Parts
54:04 🔄 Different Symptoms, Same Brain Mechanism
