Alcohol, SSRIs & Midlife Coping: What Used to Work Doesn’t Part 1 of 2
The Luminescence Podcast with Schuyler GrantShow Notes
Your favorite coping mechanisms — wine, edibles, even your go-to SSRI — might suddenly betray you in midlife.
In this episode of the Luminescence Podcast, Schuyler Grant sits down with Dr. Sarah de la Torre, Elena Brower, and Dr. Somi Javaid to dig into why alcohol hits harder after 40, antidepressants become less reliable, and the things that used to take the edge off start creating new problems instead. They explore the neuroscience of why your old stress relievers stop working as hormones shift.
They discuss:
Why hormonal shifts change how you experience pleasure, reward, and stress — how declining estrogen affects dopamine and serotonin, and what that means for mood and cravings
What makes alcohol and cannabis hit differently during perimenopause and post-menopause — the metabolism changes, sleep disruption, and anxiety that weren't there before
The truth about SSRIs in midlife — when they help, when they don't, and what the risks actually are as your brain chemistry changes
The real impact of your nightly glass of wine — when it crosses from pleasure into problem, and why that line moves in midlife
How to tell the difference between what actually supports you and what just keeps you stuck — and why your coping mechanisms need to evolve
For any woman whose go-to stress relief isn't working anymore and wants to understand why — before figuring out what comes next.
For information on our upcoming events, retreats, and to connect with specialists and other women in our online community, visit www.luminescence.health.
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