What happens when hormones collide with mental health?

In this week’s episode, journalist and author Bryony Gordon joins Dr Naomi Potter to talk candidly about navigating perimenopause while managing OCD, addiction recovery, and hormone sensitivity.

Bryony shares how the progesterone pill left her suicidal, why sobriety has been her superpower, and how she’s rebuilding her sense of self in midlife — proving that reinvention is always possible, no matter what stage you’re in.

Expect honesty, hope, and practical advice on how to protect your mental health through hormonal change.

💬 Topics include:

• How hormones can affect OCD, anxiety, and mood

• Why sobriety can make perimenopause easier (and harder)

• Understanding progesterone sensitivity

• How to spot when hormones are driving mental health issues

• Tips for self-care, support and midlife reinvention

Bryony's Instagram: @bryonygordon

Bryony's YouTube: @thelifeofbryony

Bryony's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-life-of-bryony/id1763828544

Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter

00:00 – Arrival by running!

01:38 – How a royal chat led Bryony to run the London Marathon

06:52 – Getting sober: rehab, 12-step & building a life without booze

10:00 – Alcohol cravings, socialising sober & what actually helps

17:35 – OCD explained: intrusive thoughts & the perimenopause trigger

22:25 – Anxiety or hormones? Speaking to Dr Naomi & trying HRT

23:19 – Oestrogen gel: relief within days (mood, energy, clarity)

24:39 – Progesterone crash: severe mood dip & finding a safer option

33:26 – The Mirena coil: why it worked when pills didn’t

41:59 – Midlife reframe: no periods, more power, new identity

48:20 – Brain fog & burnout: stress load, simple resets that work

55:55 – Q&A: sobriety, early menopause & pill-sensitivity worries

1:01:33 – Tools for hormone days, mindset shifts & sharks 🦈

#bryonygordon #ocd #menopause