How can perimenopause be mistaken for bipolar disorder?
In this episode, Dr Naomi Potter talks to comedian, writer and speaker Cally Beaton about how she was wrongly diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was actually perimenopausal — a misdiagnosis that happens in more cases than you might realise.
Cally also shares how she reinvented herself in midlife to become a stand-up comedian, how she's struggling to access the HRT she needs, and gets advice from Dr Naomi Potter on how to beat those menopause-induced nighttime surges of anxiety.
This is an eye-opening conversation full of laughter, information, and great advice for midlife women.
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Follow Cally Beaton below:
Cally's Instagram: @callybeatoncomedian
Cally's TikTok: @callybeatoncomedian
Cally's podcast Namaste Motherf**kers: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/namaste-motherf-kers/id1562113984
Cally's new book Namaste Motherf**kers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Namaste-Motherf-kers/dp/B08JJZF3MCFollow
Dr. Naomi Potter below:
Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter
Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter
00:00 – Intro to Cally
00:28 – From TV boardrooms to comedy clubs
00:59 – Joan Rivers gives life-changing advice
02:33 – Taking the leap into standup
03:21 – From corporate gloss to vulnerability
04:26 – Learning through failure in comedy
05:05 – Balancing comedy and corporate life
05:35 – cComedy secret revealed in New York
07:51 – The hormonal chaos of our 40s
08:42 – Perimenopause is the real issue
09:19 – When Cally hit rock bottom
10:23 – Juggling too much and crashing
10:54 – Post-stage breakdown and relentless tears
11:25 – Accessing private psychiatric treatment
12:08 – Diagnosed with bipolar at 47
12:54 – Prescribed heavy-duty bipolar meds
13:46 – Finally a GP mentions hormones
14:16 – Realising it was perimenopause all along
14:36 – Off bipolar meds, onto HRT
15:08 – Misdiagnosis of women in psychiatry
16:34 – Hormonal turbulence or psychiatric issue?
17:14 – Fear of long-term bipolar medication
18:01 – Finally coming off the wrong meds
19:34 – Overprescribing and polypharmacy problems
20:11 – HRT patch frustration begins
20:49 – Side effects and stock issues
22:10 – Why HRT access is so hard
25:06 – Perimenopause symptoms: depression to anxiety
25:55 – Hot flushes, night sweats and brain fog
26:35 – The stubborn menopause tummy fat
27:15 – Brain fog vs stage clarity
27:51 – Crippling sleep anxiety in midlife
29:02 – Sleep schedule struggles as a comedian
29:26 – Cally’s current HRT regime
30:03 – Trouble replacing the mirena coil
30:56 – Alternative progesterone options
31:48 – Regular pushback from GPs
32:31 – Long-term safety of HRT
33:36 – Alternatives to HRT patches
34:35 – Chronic sleep deprivation struggles
35:07 – Could progesterone help with sleep?
35:28 – Questions from Cally’s community
35:45 – When is a good time to stop HRT?
36:24 – Managing withdrawal and symptoms
36:46 – On max HRT and still foggy
37:09 – Lifestyle factors beyond hormones
38:05 – Absorption issues and patch quality
38:28 – Testosterone and brain clarity
39:00 – What to expect post-menopause
39:49 – Hormonal chaos eventually settles
40:44 – Libido tips and tricks
41:15 – Understanding the causes of low libido
43:12 – Cally’s upcoming book and tour
44:07 – Fearless reinvention through midlife
44:50 – Mess, midlife, and moving forward
46:10 – Outro
#callybeaton #naomipotter #namastemotherfuckers