Episode 144: The Perimenopause Revolution: Trauma, Transitions and Tools with Dr. Mariza Snyder
- THA Operations
- 1d
- 6 min read
More Than Hot Flashes
Many women enter perimenopause unprepared for what's actually happening inside. For the brain remodeling and nervous system changes creating instability. That make this transition feel destabilizing beyond physical symptoms alone.
For practitioners supporting clients through midlife and for women navigating perimenopause themselves, understanding how stored trauma amplifies symptoms and shrinks capacity matters. Changes everything about this journey forward into second half of life.
This episode features Dr. Mariza Snyder, author of The Perimenopause Revolution, who shares her personal journey through perimenopause while carrying complex PTSD from childhood abuse affecting her nervous system throughout adulthood.
You'll discover why stabilizing blood sugar becomes foundational for cellular energy. How the critical line of overwhelm shifts during perimenopause shortening capacity. And why brain inflammation during this transition feels like cognitive decline.
Dr. Mariza reframes perimenopause as an invitation to review what's changing. Relationships, obligations, and patterns that no longer serve your nervous system. Rather than something to merely survive getting through somehow.
Blood Sugar Is Pillar One
"If we could just optimize, stabilize our cellular energy through food. Through stabilizing our blood sugar, we really set a great foundation."
During perimenopause when hormones are erratic and unpredictable every day, stable blood sugar helps maintain cellular energy and nervous system regulation. Blood sugar crashes create biological stress signals throughout your entire body.
Cellular energy determines everything in your body's functioning daily. Without stable energy, nothing else works well or efficiently.
Perimenopause Is Brain Remodeling
Perimenopause is a neuroendocrine transition affecting both systems together. Both your nervous system and your endocrine system simultaneously changing. During erratic hormone decline, fluctuation creates inflammation in your brain tissue.
Your brain is literally restructuring for second half of life ahead. Not decline but remodeling to serve you differently going forward. This can take 10+ years to complete the full transition process.
When Executive Function Falters
"We could have a hundred tabs open and manage them effortlessly. And then I remember the day where I was really having effort."
"Because that level of executive function begins to falter." This is normal in perimenopause and not cognitive decline happening. Not dementia or early Alzheimer's disease appearing in your brain. Your brain is recalibrating how it operates for you daily.
Can't multitask the way you used to before this transition. This is brain remodeling happening naturally, not failure on your part.
Why Change Triggers Trauma
Change triggers those carrying trauma from their past experiences. Perimenopause is massive change happening in your body and brain. The unknown feels more dangerous than familiar suffering you know. Even bad familiar feels safer than uncertain future ahead.
For women with childhood trauma, hypervigilant nervous systems, and complex PTSD, they experience this transition more intensely than others without trauma.
Everything Is Up for Review
"Perimenopause is a time for discernment about what's changing. Because everything is up for review in your life now."
What you've been tolerating at work draining your energy daily. Relationships that no longer serve you or give back equally. Patterns of putting everyone else first before your own needs. The habit of prioritizing everyone else before yourself constantly.
This suddenly feels intolerable to your nervous system with changing capacity.
The Critical Line Shifts
"The critical line of overwhelm—you have less of a line. It shortens during perimenopause creating less capacity for stress."
"And I don't necessarily think that that is a bad thing. If you can become aware of what's happening to you."
This shortened capacity might be the invitation you need. To make changes you've been avoiding for too long. What felt manageable last year now pushes you over edge.
Forces you to choose what really matters most to you. No bandwidth left for what doesn't serve your nervous system.
The Cake Pop Phenomenon
"I feel like a cake pop sometimes with everything happening here. Everything is just happening here and what's below my head disappears. There's nothing below the neck that I'm aware of anymore."
"You know, I'm so disconnected from my body completely." All in head, nothing in body felt or sensed daily. Operating disconnected from their bodies completely and constantly living cerebrally.
This disconnection no longer works during perimenopause. Perimenopause demands you drop into your body and listen carefully. And form new relationships with its signals telling you truth.
Neurochemical Decline
Progesterone is a calming hormone that declines erratically during perimenopause. GABA is your main calming neurotransmitter that drops significantly. Melatonin is sleep hormone that also declines explaining sleep problems.
These declines happen faster than most women realize. Creating anxiety and insomnia that feel unmanageable without understanding why. Your body's natural calming mechanisms go offline making dysregulation worse.
Grounding When Dysregulated
When you're in overwhelm or shutdown state needing quick help, look around the room and name 5 things you can see. This is grounding practice bringing you to present moment.
Gets prefrontal cortex online and functioning properly again. Brings you back to present moment instead of past or future.
"Nothing is wrong right now in this moment you're in. Stop trying to find something to do right now urgently. Like, just be present in the moment you're actually in."
These simple practices shift nervous system state quickly and effectively.
The Five Week Midlife Reset
Five weeks of structured support that's not overwhelming but achievable. Specific movement recommendations for perimenopause, not intense workouts depleting. Practical sleep support essential when melatonin is declining naturally. Meal plans with recipes supporting blood sugar stability throughout day.
Symptom trackers to see patterns and progress creating awareness. Designed to not overwhelm but create small wins that compound.
Why Stored Trauma Amplifies Everything
Women with childhood trauma, hypervigilant nervous systems, and complex PTSD experience perimenopause as more destabilizing than others without trauma history. Because change triggers survival responses rooted in unknown feeling dangerous.
Dr. Mariza brings both perspectives with her complex PTSD background from childhood abuse giving her personal understanding of this experience.
What Comes Up for Review
Jobs that drain you without giving back energy or meaning. Projects that don't serve you or align with values anymore. Draining relationships that take more than they give back. One-sided friendships that exhaust you constantly without reciprocity.
Patterns of putting others first chronically without considering yourself. Chronic self-abandonment that's been your normal way of being. The habit of prioritizing everyone else before yourself always.
This becomes intolerable to your nervous system with shortened capacity.
Body Won't Be Ignored Anymore
Operating disconnected from your body signals no longer works. All cerebral living with nothing below the neck acknowledged or felt. Perimenopause demands you drop into your body and pay attention.
And form new relationships with its signals telling you truth. Your body is no longer willing to be ignored by you. It will force your attention whether you want to or not.
The Destabilizing Experience
For women carrying stored trauma, this transition feels destabilizing. You don't know who you're becoming or what that means. You don't know what your capacity will be going forward. You don't know if you can trust your brain anymore.
This uncertainty triggers trauma responses and hypervigilance increases naturally. Your nervous system responds by staying on high alert constantly.
The Invitation Forward
To grieve your former self and who you used to be. Accept your brain's recalibration happening naturally inside you. And choose what you're calling into the second half of life.
With fierce discernment about what matters enough to you personally. What matters enough to maintain your nervous system regulation going forward.
This Episode Is For:
✓ Women entering or in perimenopause feeling destabilized
✓ Those with stored trauma experiencing worse symptoms
✓ Practitioners supporting midlife women
✓ Anyone whose executive function is faltering
✓ Women feeling like "cake pops" disconnected from body
✓ Those whose capacity has suddenly shortened
✓ Anyone needing to review relationships and obligations
✓ Women ready for fierce discernment about second half
What You'll Learn
Listen to Dr. Mariza Snyder explain perimenopause as brain remodeling. Learn why blood sugar stability is pillar one stabilizing cellular energy. How perimenopause is a neuroendocrine transition with neuroinflammation from hormones. Why executive function falters making the "hundred-tab brain" unable to multitask. How stored trauma amplifies symptoms because change feels more dangerous. Why everything comes up for review forcing discernment about draining relationships. How the critical line of overwhelm shifts shortening capacity but providing invitation. The "cake pop phenomenon" where women operate disconnected from bodies completely. Alarming rate of progesterone, GABA, and melatonin decline creating anxiety. Practical grounding strategies like naming objects getting prefrontal cortex online. And the five-week midlife reset creating wins without overwhelming you.
Perimenopause is invitation to grieve former self and choose fiercely what serves you.
Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.
Join the Conversation
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?
Please keep comments respectful and supportive. This is a community of people committed to healing. We welcome diverse perspectives and honest questions, but we don't tolerate personal attacks, spam, or content that could harm others on their healing journey.
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