Dr. Louise Newson

Right.

That's often because of the anxiety and the low mood and people have misdiagnosed them with clinical depression and forgotten about the role of hormones in the brain.

Yeah.

That's depressing.

So a lot of people are being medicalized inappropriately and they've not had the knowledge to almost question and push back.

And I feel, especially over the last year or two, women have become more empowered to

So then they can make choices that are right for them.

And a lot of my work is just imparting my knowledge so people can make those choices.

But I think when they have this light bulb moment, almost like me shouting at my husband isn't because I hate him.

It's because, you know, the hormones are changing in my body.

and and in my brain and you know just this weird behavior it's just different um and then they can join the dots and then hopefully say to their doctor or healthcare professional look i'm getting xyz symptoms i feel they're my hormones please can i talk to you about hormones whereas before people would just literally talk about one symptom and then the doctor would compartmentalize it into one diagnosis and that's when often they were given the wrong treatment

Well, this is the thing, and I've done the same for many years as a family physician.

You know, someone would come maybe with a urinary tract infection and I'd go, okay, you've got an infection, have some antibiotic.

I wouldn't then say, oh, you're having any palpitations.

What's your mood like?

What's your sleep like?

And that's why we've developed a symptom questionnaire, which people can fill out and then work it out themselves.

Because, you know, then they can say, well, actually, I'm having these urinary symptoms, but I'm also having mood changes and I can't sleep, whatever.

And I think it's my hormones because my periods are a bit all over the place.

And then, you know, as a doctor, you want your patients to help you.