Podcasts · The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

79 – ”I knew it wasn’t depression”: Jenny’s PMDD story

· 30 min · S2 E79

Episode 79 – ”I knew it wasn’t depression”: Jenny’s PMDD story

0:00 29:40

For years, Jenny was wrongly told she had depression. She was prescribed antidepressants, saw multiple healthcare professionals and even underwent a hysterectomy, yet no one addressed the underlying hormonal changes driving her symptoms.

In this powerful episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Jenny Potkins, who shares her deeply personal experience of living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe hormone-related condition that can have a devastating impacts on mental and physical health. Jenny describes years of feeling dismissed, the toll PMDD has taken on her family, and why she is now campaigning to raise awareness so that other women don’t have to go through the same dreadful experience.

Louise explains why PMDD is often misunderstood, how fluctuating hormone levels can affect the brain and the whole body, and why so many women are still often inappropriately prescribed antidepressants or encouraged to have surgery before natural hormones are even considered. Together, they discuss the importance of listening to women, recognising the cyclical nature of symptoms, and ensuring people have access to informed choice about hormone treatments.

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Link to Jenny's poster :

PMDD_Poster_2026 v2.2-29-06-2026.pdf - Google Drive

Links in the notes 10

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