Managing Your Perimenopausal Rage

In this candid and empowering episode of The Longest Shortest Time, host Hilary Frank welcomes Dr. Camila Phillips, a board-certified OBGYN and menopause specialist, to discuss the often misunderstood emotional turbulence of perimenopause—particularly perimenopausal rage. Dr. Phillips shares her personal journey, revealing how she initially dismissed her own symptoms of brain fog, night sweats, and emotional volatility as early dementia, despite being a medical expert. Her story underscores the profound impact hormonal shifts have on the brain, especially the amygdala, which becomes hyper-sensitive during fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels. She emphasizes that rage and tearfulness are not signs of weakness or 'craziness,' but physiological responses to biological change. The episode dismantles stigma around women's emotional health, advocating for validation, medical support, and holistic care. Dr. Phillips also reflects on her past misdiagnoses of patients—often prescribing antidepressants instead of considering perimenopause—highlighting the urgent need for better education and empathy in healthcare. The conversation concludes with practical strategies: lifestyle changes, therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted medications, all framed as part of a 'cocktail' approach to healing. Listeners are encouraged to join LST+ for community access, story input, and exclusive content. The episode also features a live taping announcement in New York with guest Nagin Farsad. With raw honesty and scientific insight, Dr. Phillips transforms a taboo topic into a call for compassion, self-advocacy, and systemic change in women’s health care. Her message is clear: when women’s bodies change, their emotions are not irrational—they are real, valid, and worthy of care.