Menopause And Mental Health - with Rebecca Bloom

I talk with licensed mental health counsellor and art therapist Rebecca Bloom to unpack why so many perimenopausal women are being misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression. We dive into the shocking lack of menopause education among medical and mental health professionals, share our own messy personal experiences with perimenopause, and explore how local and systemic hormone shifts deeply affect our relationships, intimacy, and nervous systems. Together we create a validating reminder that you are not going crazy, you are going through a profound physiological shift, and there is hope, community, and the right medical support waiting to help you reclaim your life Rebecca Reveals How menopause receives virtually zero attention in medical and specialist mental health training Why women are frequently misdiagnosed with new-onset clinical depression or anxiety because professionals fail to recognise that the simultaneous collapse of multiple bodily systems is actually perimenopause. How midlife and older women's health is historically understudied and ignored, forcing women to turn to OSINT (open-source intelligence), peer research, and community groups to figure out their own symptoms. How post-menopause brings a liberating phase of life where the stabilising of hormones allows women to shed societal norms, care less about outside opinions, and enthusiastically lean into their own joy and creative projects. BEST MOMENTS "Imagine if five bodily systems went down at once. How would you respond? You'd probably feel really crazy and really crappy." "My sex therapy training was 90 hours of training. We spent nine minutes on menopause. No one's talking about it, or thinking about it, or teaching about it." "I always tell women, one in seven women leave their jobs during menopause because it is so stressful." "I'm like fully in my 'crone' era of like, it doesn't matter what the outside world thinks. This is going to give me incredible joy." EPISODE LINKS Rebecca with homemade feather boa Website Instagram HOST BIO Michelle is a highly respected Physiotherapist and Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner with over two decades of experience in the health and wellness industry. After experiencing seven years of debilitating symptoms herself before realising it was perimenopause, Michelle has since dedicated her career to helping other women navigate this transformative stage of life. Her personal journey fuels her passion for educating and empowering women, as well as training businesses and health professionals through her specialised menopause and wellbeing workshops.  A best-selling author and sought-after speaker, Michelle combines deep clinical expertise with relatable, real-world experience. Through her podcast, "Menopause - The Real Deal," she offers evidence-based guidance, authentic conversations, and practical strategies. Listeners trust Michelle for her empathetic understanding and her commitment to helping women thrive, making her a leading voice in the menopause space. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/michelle.kimp.9/ Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag Website www.panaceapause.co.uk