# I Wish Someone Had Told Me Perimenopause Could Affect My Mental Health This Much

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-paula-faris-show-6618781/i-wish-someone-had-told-me-perimenopause-could-affect-my-mental-health-this-much
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-paula-faris-show-6618781/i-wish-someone-had-told-me-perimenopause-could-affect-my-mental-health-this-much.md
Podcast: [The Paula Faris Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-paula-faris-show-6618781)
Published: 2026-05-19T07:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TSF4145778492.mp3?updated=1779153818
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/TSF4145778492.mp3?updated=1779153818
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Duration seconds: 2059

## Resource

There was a season not long ago when I didn’t feel like myself at all. Overwhelmed. Emotional. In a really dark place. No one really prepares you for this part. Perimenopause isn’t just hot flashes and mood swings; it can quietly impact your mental health in ways you don’t expect. Even though I could point to many of the reasons… I wasn’t at all prepared for how deeply it would affect me. In this episode, I’m opening up about that season, and I’m joined by my friend, psychotherapist Niro Feliciano, to help make sense of what so many women in midlife are quietly experiencing. For many of us, it’s a perfect storm: grief, stress, shifting identity, and hormonal changes all colliding at once. We talk about: Why some women experience anxiety or depression for the first time Why this stage of life can feel so emotionally intense How hormonal shifts impact your brain, mood, and sense of self And what actually helps: support, connection, and getting the right kind of care If you’ve been feeling off, overwhelmed, or not like yourself… you’re not alone, and you don’t have to carry this by yourself. Let’s Talk About It. Listen in to learn more: [0:03:17] Suicide Risk Peaks at Midlife [0:06:49] Therapy as Lifeline in the Darkest Season [0:13:10] Dopamine, Screens & Perimenopause Vulnerability [0:15:11] HRT, Testosterone & Rethinking SSRIs [0:21:18] Social Health, Friendship & Longevity In this episode, we are diving into how perimenopause affects mental health, including hormone-related mood changes, stress, anxiety, and depression, the “perfect storm” of emotional challenges and stressors in midlife, finding the right therapist, and the powerful role of friendship and emotional support in overall wellness. If you need someone to talk to, you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Cr…

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