92 – Hormones, mood and mental health myths Dr Sue Varma

Psychiatrist Dr Sue Varma joins Dr Louise Newson to unpack why hormones are so often left out of mental health care and what gets missed as a result, from puberty to postpartum to perimenopause.

Dr Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist and was the first medical director of the World Trade Center Mental Health Program, treating 9/11 survivors and first responders.

Sue and Louise discuss why psychiatric training leaves out hormones' role in the brain - memory, mood, dementia risk - and why a proper medical work-up (thyroid, B12, vitamin D, hormones) should come before a psychiatric label. They talk about the stigma around seeking help, the risk of over-medicalising ordinary emotions and Sue's practical tools for difficult periods such as the "four M's" of mental health, the worry diary and her four-step framework - name it, tame it, claim it, reframe it.

Sue closes with three take-home tips for anyone having a difficult time right now.

Let’s connect

👉 Track your mood symptoms with the Balance app: https://bit.ly/4yZty5A

👉 More from Dr Louise Newson: https://linkin.bio/drlouisenewson

👉 Link to Dr Sue Varma's book : Practical Optimism https://a.co/d/ekTvcfq