The Laura Dowling Experience

Barbara Scully sits down with Laura for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with her own recent run-in with the medical system and opens out into what it actually means to age as a woman in Ireland today.

Barbara talks about months of hip pain, a string of MRIs, a suspected stroke that turned out to be nothing, and the moment she decided to step off the treadmill of tests, hand back the prescription and rebuild her strength in the gym. She also shares her type 2 diabetes diagnosis in her mid-50s and the two years of remission she achieved through diet and exercise before her mother died and life became harder again.

The conversation moves into menopause, brain fog, mood swings and the language used about older women. Barbara reframes brain fog as an information retrieval slowdown, makes the case that women's anger after menopause is real and warranted, and argues that being underestimated as you get older is closer to a superpower than to invisibility.

There is also room for the story behind it all. Growing up tall in a male-dominated house. Becoming an unmarried mother in 1987 and listening to politicians and clergy describe women like her as a scourge on the radio. The close, unconventional friendship she had with her mother, who set up her own business teaching women word processing in the late 1980s. And the comedy career she fell into in her 60s, now touring with her one-woman show Older Bolder Wiser. Her best-selling book ‘Wise Up’ is available now in Irish bookstores nationwide & on Amazon.ie 📚

🔑 Key Points

Trusting your gut with healthcare
After months of MRIs and a hip replacement referral, Barbara declined the surgery and rebuilt her strength through physio and the gym.

A diabetes diagnosis as a wake-up call
A type 2 diagnosis in her mid-50s pushed her into healthier habits and into remission for two years.

Brain fog reframed
Women in their 60s have decades more information stored than younger people; what is labelled brain fog is information retrieval slowdown.

Anger after menopause is real
As life pressures lift, you have the headspace to notice ongoing inequalities, and that anger is not a hormonal mood swing.

Underestimated, not invisible
Being overlooked as an older woman gives you the element of surprise and the freedom to take risks without caring what people think.

The cost of conformity
A senior CEO told Barbara she would love to let her hair go grey but feared not being taken seriously at work.

Becoming an unmarried mother in 1987
Barbara remembers her father going upstairs to be sick, three weeks of silence, then a quiet "we'll stand by you" on a snowy morning.

A friendship with her mother
Her mother bought her her first baby cham at 12, set up her own business in her 50s and was a collaborator throughout Barbara's life.

📚 Resources

Wise Up — Barbara Scully
Memoir reflecting on the years after menopause.

Older Bolder Wiser
Barbara's one-woman comedy show currently touring Irish theatres.

Funny Women Ireland
Set up by Orla Doherty and Val Troy to promote women in comedy.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 — Hip pain and the MRI run-around
03:00 — Stepping off the treadmill of tests
07:30 — Type 2 diabetes and remission
09:30 — Why brain fog is not what we are told
11:00 — Anger after menopause is real
13:00 — Underestimated rather than invisible
17:00 — Letting the hair go grey
22:00 — The freedom of getting older
28:00 — A first smear test in the 80s
36:00 — Growing up tall and the slow set
44:00 — Giving up red wine and finding gin
48:00 — Her mother as collaborator
56:00 — Losing her mother in 2022
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, GP and menopause specialist Dr Sarah Callaghan explains why perimenopause so rarely arrives with a bang — and why so many women spend years "muddling through" before they realise what's actually going on.

She tells Laura about the slow, sneaky creep of symptoms, the patterns she sees most often in clinic, and the women who mistake their perimenopause for postnatal anxiety, burnout, grief, or "just life". It's a powerful reframe: if something feels off, you deserve more than "just cope".

🔑 Key Points
Why perimenopause symptoms rarely arrive all at once — and why that matters
The fluctuating, "good week / bad week" pattern that makes women doubt themselves
Common mislabels: postnatal anxiety, stress, grief, COVID, burnout
The "I just don't feel like myself" phrase she hears in clinic over and over
Why you don't need to be in crisis to ask for help — even a 20–30% drop in functioning is worth investigating

🎧 Listen to the full episode here.
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura sits down with MEP Maria Walsh for a wide-ranging conversation about women, power and what is shifting in Europe right now. Maria has just returned from the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, where for the first time in seventy years member states could not agree a final text on access to justice for women.
She talks honestly about online misogyny, the deepfakes already circulating in Irish secondary schools, conversion therapy, and the website created about her during the 2019 election that is still live today. Alongside that, she opens up about internalised homophobia, the loneliness of political life, and growing up as the gay Rose of Tralee at a time when Ireland was shifting on marriage equality.
The conversation also moves through period poverty, FGM, the underfunding of women's healthcare, the pink tax, and what it would take to close the gap on cardiovascular care, menopause and reproductive health. It is a frank look at the work still ahead and the toll it takes on the women trying to do it.

🔑 Key Points

The UN couldn't agree on access to justice for women — For the first time in seventy years the Commission on the Status of Women failed to find consensus, after the US tabled eight late amendments including the definition of a woman.

Deepfakes are already in Irish secondary schools — 99% of generated deepfakes are pornographic and 96% of victims are women and young girls, with nudification apps making explicit content from a single photo.

Online attacks follow women in politics
A website created during the 2019 election is still live, and Coco's Law catches those who share content but not those who build or host the apps.

Conversion therapy is still legal in most of the EU
Only eight EU countries have banned it, and Ireland's commitment sits inside the programme for government.

Women's healthcare is underfunded
More research funding has gone into male baldness than endometriosis, and there are only six menopause clinics across Ireland.

Cardiovascular care is still built around men
Heart attack symptoms are taught through male presentation, leaving women under-treated when it matters.

The pink tax keeps quietly costing women
Razors, dry cleaning and a 23% VAT rate on sunscreen all add up across a lifetime.

Politics takes a real personal toll
Maria speaks openly about loneliness, comfort eating, and learning to take up space in Brussels.

📚 Resources

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Coco's Law

ILGA-Europe

Belong To

Women for Election

See Her Elected

Riley

Hope Foundation

Ruhama

Esker House

Her Last Search (Croí)

⏱️ Timestamps

03:39 — Back from the UN Commission on the Status of Women
07:33 — Why the US tabled eight amendments at the eleventh hour
12:37 — Deepfakes, disinformation and the 90% statistic
15:04 — Conversion therapy and the EU debate
19:23 — The Burke website that is still live
27:38 — Deepfakes in Irish secondary schools
35:43 — What policy needs to do, and Ireland's chance to lead
40:53 — Cardiovascular care and Her Last Search
45:06 — Pink tax, menopause clinics and the funding gap
49:29 — Why women are still underrepresented in politics
53:01 — Period poverty, Riley and Any Time of the Month
58:25 — Loneliness and learning to take up space
59:30 — Calcutta, Hope Foundation and human trafficking
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode, Michelle Flynn shares her deeply personal and professional insight into birth trauma, and why it’s not always about what happens, but how it’s experienced.

Drawing on her own journey through pregnancy anxiety and her work as a perinatal psychotherapist, Michelle explains how trauma can live in the nervous system, showing up long after the moment has passed. From hypervigilance and intrusive thoughts to sensory triggers that bring the body straight back into the experience, she breaks down why these reactions happen and what they actually mean.

Together, Michelle and Laura unpack the importance of feeling safe, seen and supported, both for patients and for healthcare professionals. This really comes back to understanding your body and how trauma can show up differently for each of us.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

Postnatal Depression
A type of depression that can occur after childbirth, affecting mood, energy, and ability to care for yourself or your baby.

Postnatal Anxiety
A condition involving excessive worry, fear, or intrusive thoughts during the postpartum period.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
A mental health condition involving intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours, which can present during pregnancy or postpartum.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
A condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, including childbirth.

Perinatal Mental Health
Mental health during pregnancy and the early years after birth, typically up until a child is around two years old, when individuals may be more vulnerable to anxiety and mood disorders.

Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine)
A body-based trauma therapy focused on how the nervous system stores and processes traumatic experiences.

The Body Keeps the Score - Dr Bessel van der Kolk
A widely recognised book exploring how trauma is stored in the body and how it can be treated.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
A psychotherapy approach used to help people process and recover from traumatic memories.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
A structured therapy that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns.

MBRRACE-UK Report
A UK report examining maternal deaths and inequalities, including higher risks among Black and ethnic minority women.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - What is birth trauma
02:00 - Michelle’s personal pregnancy experience
04:00 - Pregnancy anxiety and early fears
07:30 - Feeling dismissed and unsupported
10:30 - Who is more vulnerable to trauma
20:00 - PTSD in healthcare professionals
24:00 - Communication and consent in care
28:00 - Can trauma be prevented
36:00 - The lemon experiment and body response
45:00 - Understanding somatic therapy
50:00 - Why CBT may not work for trauma
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode Description

How many women have been told that pain is just part of being a woman?

For many women, painful or heavy periods become something they learn to live with. In this conversation, periods are reframed as something far more important - a vital sign that reflects what’s happening across the whole body, not just a monthly inconvenience.

Through real clinical stories, we hear how women can spend years feeling exhausted, run down, or unwell without ever realising the root cause. These symptoms are normalised, when in reality they need to be recognised and supported much earlier.

Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Mary shares how early intervention can prevent long-term conditions like PCOS and endometriosis. The discussion also expands into menopause, hormone therapy, and the importance of lifestyle - from nutrition and sleep to stress and daily habits - in supporting the body.

Alongside the science, the episode reflects on modern life - the pressure to do too much, the importance of boundaries, and the need to delegate and share the load.

At its core, this episode is about listening to your body, questioning what doesn’t feel right, and giving yourself permission to take your health seriously.

🔑 Key Points

Your period is a vital sign
Your menstrual cycle reflects overall health, yet many women are never taught what is normal and what isn’t.

Severe pain and heavy bleeding aren’t normal
Symptoms like prolonged periods, extreme pain, or vomiting are often dismissed, but they signal underlying imbalance that should be investigated.

Early intervention changes everything
Addressing irregular periods in teenage years can prevent long-term conditions like PCOS and endometriosis.

Hormones affect the whole body
Imbalances don’t just impact periods - they influence energy, mood, weight, skin, and long-term health outcomes.

Lifestyle is the foundation of hormone health
Nutrition, sleep, exercise, and gut health all play a key role in regulating hormones and supporting the body.

Conditions like PCOS are often missed
Weight gain, acne, and irregular cycles are common early signs, yet many women go undiagnosed for years.

Hormonal support can restore balance
Treatments like progesterone and metformin can help regulate cycles and improve symptoms when used appropriately.

Women are doing too much
Chronic stress, over-responsibility, and lack of boundaries can impact hormone health and overall wellbeing.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

It’s Probably Your Period by Mary Ryan
Mary’s book focused on understanding menstrual health and early intervention

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
A hormonal condition that can affect periods, weight, skin, and fertility

Endometriosis
A condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows outside the uterus, often causing severe pain

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause by replacing hormones

Progesterone
A hormone involved in regulating the menstrual cycle and supporting pregnancy

Metformin
A medication commonly used for type 2 diabetes, also used in managing PCOS

Insulin Resistance
A condition where the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin, often linked to PCOS

Prostaglandins
Hormone-like substances that can cause inflammation and menstrual cramps

⏱️ Timestamps

01:00 – Periods as a vital sign
02:30 – What a normal period looks like
04:00 – Severe pain and inflammation
06:30 – Early intervention and prevention
08:30 – PCOS, weight gain and acne
11:30 – Treatment and metformin
14:30 – Hormone balance and long-term health
16:30 – Menopause and progesterone
18:30 – Spotting, flooding and hormone changes
20:30 – HRT and hormone therapy
22:30 – Testosterone and brain fog
24:00 – Fibroids and prevention
25:30 – Women doing too much
27:00 – Delegation and sharing the load
28:30 – Relationships, stress and health impact
30:00 – Raising resilient children
31:30 – Loss, grief and perspective
33:30 – Life lessons and self-worth
35:00 – Final advice for young people
Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.