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Meet Alex, a musician whose life took an unexpected turn during a vacation. After noticing a pop in his ear, the ground beneath him began to feel like an ocean, and an unrelenting sense of movement set in. Diagnosed with Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS), Alex faced severe, constant symptoms that left him searching for answers. He sought help from doctors, ENTs, neurologists, and more, but lasting relief remained elusive.
Determined to find a way forward, Alex explored a wide range of treatments—including Botox, TMS, NUCCA chiropractic care, and others. While some provided temporary relief, none really gave him full relief from symptoms. In this conversation, Alex shares his journey through the setback, the emotional work he did in EMDR and IFS therapy, and the techniques that ultimately helped him recover.
Listen as Alex reflects on the roots of his inner critic, how Buddhism played a role in his recovery, and the key messages that gave him hope. Today, he is virtually symptom-free and preparing to release a collection of songs inspired by his healing journey. An inspiring story of resilience, self-discovery, and hope.
Resources:
-Joella's Success Story: recovery from MdDS https://youtu.be/kd-915rCHo8
- Ben's Success Story: recovery from MdDS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLbV3Iso94U
Alex's links:
- Website: https://www.alexbh.com/about
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6uklxPVeaAMFJDpYWydETZ?si=hIHq_V2EQaqWM5f_A3E0ow
Learn more about Dr. Yonit and The Steady Coach on our website: https://thesteadycoach.com
Please note that Yonit Arthur, The Steady Coach and any of our other guests are not acting as an audiologist nor offering audiology or medical services or advice on any public videos or on any other content. This channel provides wellness education and personal opinion only, and are not meant to be a substitute for medical or mental health instruction or intervention. Use any tools discussed at your own risk.
00:00 Intro
02:28 Who is Alex?
04:26 How it began: vacation onset, ER experience, boat trip, sense of movement, ground felt like an ocean, symptoms when still; fine when flying but worse after getting off the plane, fear
08:50 Reactions to symptoms: catastrophizing, ER visit, reading about MdDS, chiropractic treatment, ENT, neurologist, MdDS diagnosis; physical therapy was helpful but not a cure, insomnia issues
17:40 Relief with anxiety medication; worsening when stopping medication, severe constant migraine
19:47 Symptoms experienced: trampoline walking, ground feeling uneven/moving, constant severe symptoms, triggers, self-anger and fear
23:57 How Alex got through the worst: support from spouse and parents
25:12 Trying treatments: Botox, TMS, NUCCA chiropractic, CT scan, and more; finding temporary relief; explaining optokinetic exercises
38:10 Relapsing into strong symptoms
42:01 What was helpful: Joella podcast, positive messages, mindset shifts, pain reprocessing therapy, EMDR/IFS, Buddhism
46:36 Work done in therapy: inner critic, feeling dumb, self-compassion, traumatic medical experiences, earlier life events, observing and listening to symptoms
57:15 Daily schedule and what helped: being a “B-student,” writing music and staying focused on normal life, spending time outdoors, addressing real-life problems, somatic tracking, meditation, Buddhism, experiential work, accepting symptoms
1:08:28 Alex’s upcoming music about his recovery journey; final thoughts