For millions of women, what we’ve been told is anxiety, depression, or just “getting older”… is actually something else entirely. Today, we’re talking about menopause, not just as a biological transition, but as a mental health crisis hiding in plain sight. Mandi Dixon is a therapist who began noticing a pattern: women walking into her office saying, “I don’t feel like myself,” after being dismissed by doctors and handed diagnoses that didn’t quite fit. And what she discovered changed everything, not just for her clients, but for herself. In this conversation, we unpack how hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause impact mood, anxiety, identity, and why so many women are misdiagnosed, dismissed, or left to suffer in silence. We talk about the dangerous gap in medical education, the real mental health consequences of that gap, and what it means to finally feel seen, validated, and understood in your own body. Because this isn’t just about hormones. It’s about the cost of not believing women and what happens when we finally start to listen.Episode Resources:Mandi Dixon's WebsiteMandi Dixon's InstagramMandi Dixon's TikTokThe Pain GapFollow Anushay on InstagramLittle SaintsTo learn more about Anushay Hossain's work, check out Anushay's website or sign up for her Substack, where she writes about women's health, politics, and power. To continue the conversation, feel free to DM @anushayhossain or email me at [email protected]