'Mad Girl' Bryony Gordon On Thriving In Her 40s Despite OCD, Alcoholism And Hormone Sensitivity

What happens when hormones collide with mental health?🤝 Get your own personalised menopause support from Dr Naomi Potter and her team: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/what-to-expect-ihihIn this week’s episode, journalist and author Bryony Gordon joins Dr Naomi Potter to talk candidly about navigating perimenopause while managing OCD, addiction recovery, and hormone sensitivity.Bryony shares how the progesterone pill left her suicidal, why sobriety has been her superpower, and how she’s rebuilding her sense of self in midlife — proving that reinvention is always possible, no matter what stage you’re in.Expect honesty, hope, and practical advice on how to protect your mental health through hormonal change.💬 Topics include:• How hormones can affect OCD, anxiety, and mood• Why sobriety can make perimenopause easier (and harder)• Understanding progesterone sensitivity• How to spot when hormones are driving mental health issues• Tips for self-care, support and midlife reinventionBryony's Instagram: @bryonygordonBryony's YouTube: @thelifeofbryonyBryony's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-life-of-bryony/id1763828544Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotterNaomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter00:00 – Arrival by running!01:38 – How a royal chat led Bryony to run the London Marathon06:52 – Getting sober: rehab, 12-step & building a life without booze10:00 – Alcohol cravings, socialising sober & what actually helps17:35 – OCD explained: intrusive thoughts & the perimenopause trigger22:25 – Anxiety or hormones? Speaking to Dr Naomi & trying HRT23:19 – Oestrogen gel: relief within days (mood, energy, clarity)24:39 – Progesterone crash: severe mood dip & finding a safer option33:26 – The Mirena coil: why it worked when pills didn’t41:59 – Midlife reframe: no periods, more power, new identity48:20 – Brain fog & burnout: stress load, simple resets that work55:55 – Q&A: sobriety, early menopause & pill-sensitivity worries1:01:33 – Tools for hormone days, mindset shifts & sharks 🦈#bryonygordon #ocd #menopause