# Dr Louise Newson: Anxiety! Joint pain! The perimenopause symptoms you’re ignoring

An episode of [Happy Place](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1353058891), 21 May 2026, 57 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/happy-place/e/6a02e6a8972078978f621ca9/media.mp3

One in six women arriving at Dr Louise Newson's menopause clinic have suicidal thoughts. 92% see those thoughts reduce with natural hormones, so why are women still being prescribed antidepressants instead? In this chat with Fearne, Louise explains why women are being misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety when the root cause is hormonal. Fearne admits she's the woman with her head in the sand about perimenopause, so Louise walks her through what the many (many!) different symptoms could look like, and how to talk to a GP about how you’re feeling mentally and physically. Plus, is there any truth to the myth that HRT causes breast cancer? Why is testosterone the most misunderstood hormone in women's health? And would the contraceptive pill be approved if it was created today...? Louise’s new book, The Power of Hormones, is out now. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Liz Earle Cally Beaton Naomi Watts Child on the line is a three-part documentary podcast series celebrating the Volunteer Counsellors of Childline, and the brave children & young people who contact the helpline service. Listen here: https://www.childonthelinepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.