About this episode

Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Sue Varma discuss how women can thrive through menopause by understanding optimism and mental health.

In this episode of unPAUSED , Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Sue Varma, a board certified psychiatrist, distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and author of Practical Optimism . They open by taking on a question that sits at the intersection of psychiatry and menopause medicine: why do some women thrive through the most difficult biological transition of their lives, and what can the rest of us learn from them? Early in the conversation, Dr. Varma shares a finding that reframes everything: only 25% of people are born optimistic, and there is actually a gene for it. The other 75% have to learn it. Dr. Varma explains why optimism is not toxic positivity, what practical optimism actually means, and why both extreme optimists and extreme pessimists end up paralyzed into inaction in different ways. She also addresses what happens when depression, anxiety, and brain fog layer on top of the hormonal changes of menopause and perimenopause, and why so many women are being undertreated as a result. Guest links: Dr. Sue Varma ( Instagram ) Dr. Sue Varma ( Facebook ) Dr. Sue Varma ( LinkedIn ) Dr. Sue Varma Books: “Practical Optimism,” by Dr. Sue Varma “The…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Guest: Dr. Sue Varma

Topics covered

• menopause
• optimism
• mental health
• psychiatry
• hormonal changes

Keywords

• menopause
• optimism
• mental health
• psychiatry
• brain fog
• depression
• anxiety

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Practical Optimism, The New Perimenopause, The New Menopause, Joyspan, The Relaxation Response

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