Reality TV star Vicky Pattison opens up about her personal battle with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), a debilitating condition that goes far beyond typical PMS symptoms. She candidly discusses the physical and emotional toll it's taken on her life, and how finally getting diagnosed changed everything.

Vicky also shares her experience with egg freezing, offering an honest perspective on the process, the emotions involved, and why she made this important decision for her future. Her vulnerability about fertility and planning for motherhood will resonate with many listeners navigating similar choices.

Vicky’s new show ‘Maybe, Baby?’ is available to stream now on Channel 4.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:00 What Is PMDD? Understanding the Symptoms

03:16 Two Weeks of Hell: Living with PMDD

05:51 Five Years to Get a Diagnosis: Medical Gaslighting

08:13 "Just a Period" - How Doctors Dismissed My Pain

10:21 The Social Media Diagnosis That Changed Everything

12:16 Finally Heard: Getting My PMDD Diagnosis

14:46 Why Boys Need to Learn About Periods

17:31 Antidepressants for PMDD: The Treatment Dilemma

20:36 Navigating PMDD as a Couple

24:11 Maybe Baby: Our Fertility Journey on TV

27:01 Freezing My Eggs at 35: Taking Control

30:31 The Hate I Got for Freezing My Eggs

33:16 One Message That Made It All Worth It

37:21 Can You Be a Good Mum with PMDD?

42:01 Feel Your Feels: My Wellness Advice

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really mean to navigate womanhood under constant scrutiny? This week on Well Enough, author, DJ and broadcaster Ashley James explains the impossible standards women face.

Ashley reveals the truth about misogynistic labels, from the slut-shaming she experienced at an all-boys school to being called 'selfish' both for not having children and then for wanting a life outside motherhood. She shares how becoming a mum forced her to confront her own internalised misogyny - and why birth trauma is dismissed as a 'negative mindset problem' rather than a maternity care failing.

We also explore the hidden costs of being a woman, from the £20,000 women spend on menstruation in their lifetime to the double standards that mean female voices are constantly questioned while male commentators speak without proving their credentials.

Ashley James’s bestselling Bimbo is available here

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

03:16 The Misogyny Behind Calling Women Influencers

05:46 Slut-Shamed at 14

08:21 Punished for Having a Woman's Body

11:01 Why "Bimbo" Needs Reclaiming

14:06 The Impossible Standards of Mothers

17:11 Regretting Motherhood

20:16 Birth Trauma & the Failure of Maternity Care.

22:46 Why C-Sections Shouldn't Be Shamed

26:31 Childcare Costs More Than My Mortgage

28:46 The Pressure to "Bounce Back" After Birth

32:26 Trolls & Misogyny: Refusing to Be Silenced

36:41 The Hidden Cost of Having a Period

40:31 Medical Gaslighting: Why Women's Pain Is Dismissed

43:21 Raising Kids Without Misogynistic Labels

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosie Viva used to travel the world as a fashion model. It wasn’t until being arrested after a psychotic episode in Stansted Airport that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

On the week of World Bipolar Day, Rosie joins Emilie on Well Enough to ask: what does the world still get wrong about bipolar, especially for women.

Rosie’s book ‘Completely Normal and Totally Fine’ charts her journey with bipolar. She documents mania, depression and recovery all whilst navigating relationships, jobs and her new identity. In today’s episode, she also shares her one rule for drinking on medication, how to manage hypomania without losing the magic, and why thinking she was Susan Boyle for a week taught her family not to challenge delusions.

Follow the show:

Follow Well Enough on Instagram here

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Useful links:

Rosie’s Substack

Rosie’s book ‘Completely Normal and Totally Fine’

‘Maybe its bipolar?’ test from Bipolar UK

Samaritans

Timecodes:

00:00 What Is Bipolar Disorder? Breaking Down the Basics

02:46 Type 1 vs Type 2 Bipolar: Understanding the Difference

05:21 Misdiagnosis: When Doctors Miss Bipolar in Women

08:16 The Psychotic Episode That Changed Everything

10:11 Religious Delusions & Mania: My Breaking Point

11:26 Arrested at Stansted Airport: The Baggage Drop Incident

13:01 The Shame Around Mental Illness Nobody Talks About

15:16 Getting the Right Medication: Why It Takes Time

17:26 When Therapy Goes Wrong: My NHS Experience

20:01 Managing Hypermania: Practical Tools That Work

22:16 Navigating Friendships with Bipolar Disorder

24:51 PMDD & Bipolar: The Hidden Connection for Women

27:31 Can Women with Bipolar Be Stable? The Answer Is Yes

29:56 How to Know If You Have Bipolar: First Steps

32:31 Making My Channel 4 Documentary: Telling My Story

35:26 Is My Madness Actually Magic? Reframing Bipolar

38:01 The Euphoria of Hypermania: Like Astronauts in Space

39:21 Drinking with Bipolar: My One Simple Rule

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.