🎙️ Perimenopause: The Survival Guide Nobody Gave Us
Hormones, HRT, food, supplements, exercise and what actually helps

Perimenopause can make you feel as though somebody has quietly changed the operating system of your body and forgotten to give you the manual.

Brain fog. Rage. Anxiety. Hot flushes. Broken sleep. Aching joints. Weight changes. Gut issues. Exhaustion. A body that suddenly reacts differently to foods, alcohol, stress and exercise. IT CAN BE TRAUMATIC!

So what the hell are you actually supposed to do about it?

In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman get practical. Drawing on the science alongside their own experiences, they unpack the treatments, lifestyle changes and everyday strategies that can make navigating perimenopause considerably easier.

We explore:

🔥 HRT and hormone therapy - what it can help with, what women need to understand, and why finding the right approach can take time

🧠 The brain and nervous system - why anxiety, mood, cognition, sleep and resilience can change so dramatically during the menopause transition

🥗 Food and the changing body - why foods, alcohol and caffeine you once tolerated may suddenly seem to trigger symptoms

🦴 The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause - why joints can start aching, muscle and bone become increasingly important, and why women need to think about strength before they become frail

🏋️ Heavy resistance training and impact exercise - why lifting weights and appropriately loading bone may be some of the most powerful things we can do for our future bodies

🥩 Protein and fibre - why eating enough of both becomes increasingly important for muscle, metabolic health, gut health and healthy ageing

💊 Supplements - the evidence behind vitamin D, K2, omega-3, magnesium, creatine and specific collagen peptides, including what's genuinely promising and what's probably being oversold

🌱 What actually worked for us - the things we've tried, what made a difference, what didn't, and what we wish we'd understood sooner

Most importantly, this isn't about creating another impossible midlife wellness checklist.

It's about understanding that perimenopause is a whole-body transition. Changing ovarian hormones don't only affect periods and fertility. They interact with the brain, nervous system, bones, muscles, gut, sleep, metabolism and emotional wellbeing.

And once you understand what's happening, you can start making much more informed decisions about how to support yourself through it.

🎧 This is the perimenopause survival guide we wish someone had handed us years ago.

Topics Covered: Perimenopause, Menopause, HRT, Estrogen, Hot Flushes, Brain Fog, Anxiety, Sleep, Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, Joint Pain, Resistance Training, Bone Health, Protein, Fibre, Creatine, Collagen, Supplements, Gut Health, Women's Health, PerimenopauseTrauma.

🎙️ Perimenopause Explained: What on Earth Is Happening to My Body?
Hormones, brain fog, rage, anxiety, hot flushes, weight, sleep and why it all happens

One day you feel relatively normal. The next you're forgetting words, waking at 3am, sweating through the night, gaining weight differently, experiencing bizarre anxiety, losing your patience with everyone and wondering whether you've somehow stopped being yourself.

Welcome to perimenopause.

In Part One of our perimenopause deep dive, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman unpack what is actually happening inside the female body and brain during the menopause transition and why the symptoms extend far beyond periods and hot flushes.

We explore:

🧬 What perimenopause actually is - when it starts, how long it can last, and why symptoms can appear years before your periods stop

📈 The hormonal rollercoaster - what happens to estrogen, progesterone and other reproductive hormones as ovarian function becomes increasingly unpredictable

🧠 Your brain on perimenopause - why changing estrogen signalling can affect memory, concentration, motivation, mood and emotional regulation

😡 Anxiety, irritability and rage - why women can suddenly feel less emotionally resilient or simply not quite like themselves

🔥 Hot flushes and night sweats - what happens to the brain's temperature-control system and why tiny changes in body temperature can suddenly trigger an enormous physiological response

😴 Sleep disruption - why perimenopause can completely dismantle sleep and how poor sleep can then amplify mood, cognition, appetite, pain and stress

⚖️ Weight and metabolic changes - why body composition and fat distribution can begin changing even when you're doing many of the same things you've always done

🥗 Gut and food changes - why some women notice digestive symptoms or find that foods, caffeine or alcohol they previously tolerated suddenly seem to affect them differently

🦴 Aching joints, muscles and bones - the emerging concept of the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and why estrogen matters far beyond reproduction

💔 Trauma and the nervous system - why this transition can feel particularly destabilising when your nervous system is already carrying a significant stress or trauma load

And perhaps most importantly, we talk about something women desperately need to hear:

These symptoms aren't random.

Perimenopause is not simply your periods becoming irregular. It's a major biological transition involving hormone-sensitive systems throughout the brain and body.

Understanding that changes the conversation from:

“What on earth is wrong with me?”

to:

“Okay. Now I understand what's happening. What can I do about it?”

And that's exactly where Part Two: The Perimenopause Survival Guide Nobody Gave Us begins (stay tuned for Episode 17 for that).

🎧 If you're somewhere in your late 30s, 40s or 50s and wondering why your body or brain suddenly seems to be operating by a completely different set of rules, start here.

Topics Covered: Perimenopause, Menopause, Estrogen, Progesterone, Brain Fog, Anxiety, Rage, Hot Flushes, Night Sweats, Sleep, Weight Gain, Metabolism, Gut Health, Joint Pain, Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, Trauma, Nervous System, Women's Health.

Autism is not a disease to be cured or a behaviour to be fixed. It's a different way of experiencing, processing, and responding to the world. Yet for many autistic people, living in a world that wasn't designed for their nervous system can be deeply exhausting, and, at times, traumatic.

In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman explore autism through a compassionate, evidence-based, and trauma-informed lens, moving beyond outdated stereotypes to understand the unique strengths and challenges of the autistic nervous system.

Together, they unpack:

🧠 What autism really is and why it's so much more than social communication differences

⚡ How the autistic nervous system processes sensory information, emotion, and stress differently

👂 The vital role of sensory processing, masking, and autistic burnout

💔 How repeated experiences of misunderstanding, exclusion, and chronic overwhelm can contribute to anxiety, trauma, and emotional exhaustion

🔬 The latest science on autism, including common co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing differences, and other neurodevelopmental profiles

🌱 Why creating safety, predictability, and genuine acceptance can transform wellbeing for autistic individuals across the lifespan

Rather than asking, "How do we make autistic people fit the world?", this episode asks a different question:

"How do we better understand and support an autistic nervous system in a world that often misunderstands it?"

This is a thoughtful, compassionate conversation about neurodiversity, resilience, and what it means to thrive without trying to become someone you're not. Whether you're autistic yourself, parenting an autistic child, supporting someone you love, or simply wanting to understand autism more deeply, this episode offers practical insights grounded in both science and humanity.

🎧 Join us as we explore autism beyond the stereotypes—and discover why understanding the nervous system changes everything.

Topics Covered: Autism, Neurodiversity, Sensory Processing, Autistic Burnout, Masking, ADHD, Anxiety, Trauma-Informed Care, Nervous System Regulation, Autism Research, Psychology.

For decades, ADHD has been described as a disorder of attention. But what if we've been looking at it the wrong way?

In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman explore the growing understanding of ADHD as a condition that is fundamentally about self-regulation, executive functioning, and managing the brain's resources, not simply paying attention.

Together, they unpack:

🧠 Why ADHD isn't an inability to pay attention, but a difficulty regulating attention, emotion, motivation, and behaviour

⚡ The role of executive functioning, working memory, emotional regulation, and impulse control

🔬 What neuroscience tells us about dopamine, motivation, and why ADHD brains often struggle to engage with tasks that aren't immediately rewarding

🌪️ Why many people with ADHD experience rejection sensitivity, emotional overwhelm, burnout, and difficulties managing everyday life

👂 The often-overlooked connection between ADHD and sensory processing differences and why understanding your sensory profile can completely change how you manage your symptoms

💊 The role of stimulant medication, what we know about its benefits and limitations, and why medication is only one part of long-term ADHD management

🌱 Practical strategies for building capacity, working with your nervous system, and creating environments that support your brain rather than constantly fighting against it

This episode moves beyond outdated stereotypes and explores ADHD through a compassionate, evidence-based lens. Rather than asking why people with ADHD can't concentrate, we ask a different question:

How can we better support a brain that struggles to regulate itself in a world that constantly demands it?

Whether you've been diagnosed with ADHD, suspect you might have it, or love someone who does, this conversation will help you understand why ADHD is about far more than distraction and why effective treatment means understanding the whole person, not just the diagnosis.

🎧 Join us as we challenge the myths surrounding ADHD and explore what it really means to live with a brain that experiences the world differently.

Anxiety isn't simply worrying too much or being unable to relax. It's what happens when your brain becomes so focused on detecting danger that it struggles to recognise when you're actually safe.

In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman explore anxiety through a compassionate, trauma-informed, and neuroscience-based lens, unpacking why the brain can become trapped in survival mode, even when there is no immediate threat.

Together, they explore:

🧠 What anxiety really is and why it's a protective system that's become overactive rather than something that's "wrong" with you

⚡ How the brain's threat detection system can begin treating everyday situations as dangerous

💔 The role of trauma, chronic stress, attachment experiences, and life adversity in shaping an anxious nervous system

🔬 What happens in the brain and body during anxiety, including the role of the amygdala, stress hormones, and the autonomic nervous system

🌪️ Why anxiety shows up in so many different ways, from panic attacks and health anxiety to social anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and constant hypervigilance

🌱 Why reassurance, avoidance, and control can unintentionally keep anxiety alive and what actually helps the nervous system relearn safety

Rather than asking, "How do I stop feeling anxious?", this episode asks a different question:

"What would it take for my brain to believe I'm safe again?"

This is a compassionate, evidence-based conversation that moves beyond symptom management to explore the deeper biological and psychological processes that drive anxiety. Because healing isn't about eliminating fear, it's about helping your brain rediscover safety, flexibility, and trust.

🎧 Join us as we explore why anxiety develops, why it persists, and how recovery begins when we stop fighting the nervous system and start understanding it.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder isn't about being neat, organised, or liking things a certain way. It's about what happens when the brain becomes convinced that uncertainty itself is dangerous.

In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman explore OCD through both a scientific and trauma-informed lens, asking what happens when a nervous system becomes trapped in an endless search for safety. Because beneath the rituals, checking, reassurance-seeking, and intrusive thoughts is often a person trying desperately to prevent something catastrophic from happening.

Together, they explore:

🧠 Why OCD is driven by an intolerance of uncertainty rather than a desire for perfection

⚡ How the brain's threat detection system becomes overactive, convincing us that "just in case" rituals are necessary for survival

🌀 The many faces of OCD, including intrusive thoughts, relationship OCD, health OCD, contamination fears, moral and religious OCD, magical thinking, and the relentless need to make things feel "just right"

💔 How early experiences of unpredictability, trauma, shame, or chronic emotional invalidation can shape a nervous system that struggles to tolerate uncertainty

🔬 What neuroscience tells us about the brain circuits involved in OCD and why compulsions temporarily relieve distress while strengthening the cycle over time

🌱 Why healing isn't about achieving certainty, but gradually teaching the nervous system that uncertainty is survivable

Rather than asking, "What's wrong with this person?", this episode asks a different question:

"What happened that made the brain believe certainty was the only path to safety?"

This is a compassionate, evidence-based conversation that moves beyond stereotypes to explore the deeper psychological and neurobiological processes that keep OCD alive and why recovery is possible when we learn to build safety from within rather than chasing certainty outside ourselves.

🎧 Join us as we explore one of mental health's most misunderstood conditions and discover why freedom from OCD begins not with finding the right answer, but with learning that you can survive not knowing.

Few mental health experiences are as feared, misunderstood, or stigmatised as psychosis. Popular culture often portrays it as madness, danger, or a complete break from reality. But what if psychosis is far more complex than we've been led to believe?

In this thought-provoking episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman explore psychosis through a compassionate, evidence-based lens, asking a difficult but important question:

Is psychosis simply a loss of reality or can it sometimes be understood as an attempt to survive overwhelming reality?

Together, they explore:

🧠 What psychosis actually is and the many different ways it can present

⚡ The early warning signs and stages of psychotic experiences

🌪️ The role of trauma, stress, attachment disruption, and overwhelming emotional states

🔬 What happens in the brain during psychosis, including the impact of dopamine, threat detection, and altered perception

🫥 The overlap between psychosis, dissociation, spiritual experiences, and extreme states of consciousness

💊 Current approaches to treatment, including medication, psychotherapy, family support, and recovery-oriented care

❤️ Why people experiencing psychosis are often far more frightened than frightening

This episode challenges simplistic explanations and explores the human experience beneath the diagnosis. Rather than viewing psychosis solely as a symptom to eliminate, we ask what meaning, function, or survival strategy may be hidden within the experience itself.

🎧 Join us for a nuanced conversation about one of mental health's most misunderstood conditions and discover why understanding psychosis requires us to look beyond symptoms and into the stories, relationships, and realities that shape them.

Topics Covered: Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Trauma, Dissociation, Dopamine, Spiritual Emergency, Mental Health, Recovery, Attachment, Psychotherapy, Severe Mental Illness.

At first glance, Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder can look remarkably similar. Both can involve intense emotions, impulsive behaviour, relationship difficulties, and periods of crisis. But beneath the surface, these are fundamentally different conditions and understanding the difference can be life-changing.

In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman cut through the confusion and explore one of the most commonly misunderstood distinctions in mental health.

Together, they unpack:

🧠 Why Bipolar Disorder is primarily a disorder of mood, while Borderline Personality Disorder is often a disorder of self, attachment, and emotional regulation

⏳ The crucial difference between sustained mood episodes and rapid emotional reactivity

💔 How trauma, attachment wounds, and fear of abandonment shape borderline presentations

⚡ What mania and hypomania actually look like and why they're very different from emotional dysregulation

🫥 The role of dissociation, identity disturbance, and chronic feelings of emptiness in borderline personality disorder

🔬 What neuroscience and clinical research tell us about the origins of both conditions

💊 Why the treatments differ so significantly and why getting the diagnosis right matters

We also explore the reality that some people live with both conditions, creating a far more complex clinical picture than social media often portrays.

This episode challenges simplistic labels and explores the human experience beneath the diagnosis. Because understanding whether someone is struggling with a mood disorder, a trauma-related disorder, or both can be the difference between feeling misunderstood and finally receiving the right help.

🎧 Join us for a thoughtful, compassionate, and evidence-based conversation about two of the most commonly confused diagnoses in mental health.