In this episode of Talking Head Pain, Sarah welcomes back guest Shruti Shivaramakrishnan, a migraine and mental health advocate, to explore the complex relationship between chronic migraine, mental health, and navigating health care systems.

Join Sarah and Shruti as they discuss the profound impact of migraine on mental health, and shed a light on the need for continued dialogue and support in the migraine community.

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:09: Shruti describes her pain levels of the day using the Stoplight Pain Scale

03:58: Shruti shares her personal struggles with mental health, migraine and feeling isolated

07:09: Sarah and Shruti discuss the power and importance of community for individuals living with chronic pain

09:31: Shruti shares her experience navigating the health care systems in India and Canada and the challenges she's encountered in both countries

13:13: Sarah highlights the importance of building a migraine toolkit and normalizing discussion around living with chronic pain and mental health issues

16:18: Sarah expresses appreciation for Shruti's representation of women of color in her comics about chronic pain and mental health, emphasizing the rarity of such representation

19:49: Shruti discusses her internal conflict over using color in her illustrations due to fears of discrimination and imposter syndrome

21:45: Sarah and Shruti explore the topic of generational trauma and how breaking this cycle of silent suffering is crucial to improve one's well being

23:34: Sarah asks Shruti about her self-care practices

Contact Our Hosts:

Joe Coe, Director, Therapeutic Area Growth and Integration at GHLF: jcoe@ghlf.org

Sarah Shaw, Senior Manager of BIPOC Community Outreach at GHLF: sshaw@ghlf.org

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments, or a video or audio clip of yourself, to TalkingHeadPain@GHLF.org.

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