Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Content advisory: This episode contains themes of mental health and suicide
Anna, a nurse, was sectioned, hospitalised in psychiatric wards for months and overdosed more than once, all while being diagnosed with everything from treatment-resistant depression to a personality disorder. It took over a decade for anyone to link it to her hormones and to believe her.
She tells Dr Louise Newson how her suicidal episodes tracked her menstrual cycle for ten years, yet doctors dismissed her and used her own theory about hormones as evidence she wasn't well. Even after a hysterectomy, a reaction to synthetic progestogen from a Mirena coil, and repeated admissions, it took a private gynaecologist to diagnose PMDD and start her on hormone treatments (HRT).
Louise and Anna unpick why psychiatry so often overlooks hormones, the real difference between progesterone and synthetic progestogens, and why removing the ovaries doesn't usually remove the problem. Plus three take-home tips for getting hormonal symptoms taken seriously.
Let’s connect
👉 Track your mood symptoms with the Balance app: bit.ly/4yZty5A
👉 More from Dr Louise Newson: https://linkin.bio/drlouisenewson
Content advisory: This episode contains themes of mental health and suicide
Anna, a nurse, was sectioned, hospitalised in psychiatric wards for months and overdosed more than once, all while being diagnosed with everything from treatment-resistant depression to a personality disorder. It took over a decade for anyone to link it to her hormones and to believe her.
She tells Dr Louise Newson how her suicidal episodes tracked her menstrual cycle for ten years, yet doctors dismissed her and used her own theory about hormones as evidence she wasn't well. Even after a hysterectomy, a reaction to synthetic progestogen from a Mirena coil, and repeated admissions, it took a private gynaecologist to diagnose PMDD and start her on hormone treatments (HRT).
Louise and Anna unpick why psychiatry so often overlooks hormones, the real difference between progesterone and synthetic progestogens, and why removing the ovaries doesn't usually remove the problem. Plus three take-home tips for getting hormonal symptoms taken seriously.
Let’s connect
👉 Track your mood symptoms with the Balance app: bit.ly/4yZty5A
👉 More from Dr Louise Newson: https://linkin.bio/drlouisenewson
