The Laura Dowling Experience

Épisodes

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  Bitesize Moment: "Reject the Diet Mentality." — Sinéad Crowe on making peace with food 28.07.2026 7min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, psychiatric nurse and intuitive eating counsellor Sinéad Crowe explains what intuitive eating really is — a way of caring for yourself, not another set of rules.She shares why letting go of the diet mentality comes first, and how making peace with food can quiet years of guilt and reconnect you with your body's own signals.🔑Key Points• What intuitive eating actually means (a self-care framework, not a diet)• Why "rejecting the diet mentality" is the starting point• How making peace with food can ease guilt around eating• Reconnecting with the body's own signals💛 If anything here resonates, you're not alone. In Ireland, Bodywhys, the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland (bodywhys.ie), offers support and information.🎧 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.
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  Where Violence Comes From with Bob Cullen #179 23.07.2026 1h 24min

  Bob Cullen isn't a doctor or a traditional academic — he's a man who spent his early life around violence and addiction, spent years in prison, and has spent the time since trying to understand where that violence actually comes from. Now finishing a master's and preparing to start a PhD, he leads the Success Stories Programme, running workshops with men — including in prisons and on probation — about patriarchy, masculinity and the beliefs that quietly shape how boys become men.In this conversation, Bob and Laura trace violence back to its roots: the way boys are taught that emotion is weakness, how shame and poverty drive harm, and why Bob believes we can't reduce violence against women without understanding masculinity itself. He's honest about the misogyny he still hears from men when no women are around, and clear that shaming men or simply telling them to "talk more" misses how the harm is learned in the first place.The episode also turns inward. Bob speaks openly about the drugs, the self-harm and the years he couldn't look at himself in the mirror, and about the education, meditation and steady relationships that slowly turned things around. It closes on regret, accountability and self-forgiveness — and why, after all the work he's done, he still chooses to hold on to some of the guilt he carries.Please note: this episode discusses violence, prison, abuse, misogyny and suicide, and may be difficult to listen to. Support links are included below.🔑 Key PointsViolence has roots we rarely look atBob argues we'll never reduce violence against women by focusing on it alone — it has to be traced back to patriarchy and how masculinity is formed.Boys learn early that emotion is weaknessFrom "boys don't cry" to the fear of being called weak by friends, boys are taught to suppress feeling and to prove they'll use violence if needed.Shame is one of the biggest drivers of violenceDrawing on James Gilligan's work, Bob links most harm to shame, poverty and exposure to violence, and notes people are usually victims before they become perpetrators.Misogyny didn't start with social mediaHe traces how men talk about women when none are around back through history, rather than blaming figures like Andrew Tate alone."Just get men talking" isn't enoughBob explains why shaming men or telling them to open up misses how the harm is learned, and why his work is built on accountability and community instead.Change came through education and connectionGetting clean in prison, meditation, journaling and a teacher named Andrea opened a path into study, feminism and the Success Stories work he now leads.Accountability over easy self-forgivenessBob speaks honestly about the guilt he still carries, and why he chooses to hold it: not to punish himself, but as a reminder of who he doesn't want to become.📚 ResourcesViolence: Our Deadly Epidemic and Its Causes — James GilliganOn shame, poverty and the roots of violence.The Will to Change — bell hooksOn men, masculinity and love.The Patriarchs — Angela SainiHow patriarchy took hold.Success Stories ProgrammeThe anti-patriarchy, anti-violence programme Bob runs with men.Samaritans IrelandFree 24/7 on 116 123.PietaFree 24/7 crisis support on 1800 247 247.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Introduction and the Success Stories Program03:52 — Patriarchy, domination and masculinity06:34 — Why focusing only on violence against women falls short09:56 — "Boys don't cry" and the fear of weakness12:45 — Shame, poverty and the roots of violence13:40 — Misogyny's long history, from Pandora to Descartes27:40 — Why "men just need to talk" isn't enough32:56 — Victims before perpetrators41:30 — Accountability, integrity and community50:00 — Drugs, self-harm and going to prison63:00 — The teacher who changed everything79:23 — Regret, accountability and self-forgivenessThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "We've Demonised Average." — Dr Coleman Noctor on why we're all so anxious 21.07.2026 10min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, child and adolescent psychotherapist Dr Coleman Noctor explains why so many of us feel anxious and "behind," even when life is objectively fine.He shows how the gap between expectation and reality fuels anxiety, why chasing "exceptional" leaves us discontent, and how aiming for his "four to seven zone" can bring us back to balance.🔑Key Points• Why anxiety often lives in the gap between expectation and reality• How "demonising average" sets most of us up to feel like we're failing• Why happiness is a passing moment, not a permanent state• The "four to seven zone" as a practical way to aim for balance🎧 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.
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  Nobody Tells You How Hard Motherhood Is with Becca Maberly #178 16.07.2026 44min

  Becca Maberly did everything "right." An A-grade student with an obstetrician father, she got to the hospital, had her baby with no pain relief, and was home for lunch - certain she was going to be brilliant at motherhood. Then the postnatal period arrived, and she went, in her words, straight to the bottom of the class.In this honest, funny and disarming conversation, Becca and Laura pull apart the gap between what we're told motherhood will feel like and what it can actually be. Becca talks about feeling like an unnatural mother, the loneliness of the long hours in between, and the maternal rage that surges from nought to a hundred over spilled milk. She shares the day she asked her GP for help and was sent to a psychiatric unit, only to be handed a leaflet and told to count to ten.She also names something few people hear about: D-MER, or dysphoric milk ejection reflex - the wave of crushing sadness that hit her at every let-down, which she only understood years later. The conversation moves on through renegotiating a relationship after a baby, a ruptured ectopic pregnancy that nearly went unnoticed, and why Becca now believes the meaning of life is simply finding your own balance. It's a reminder that if you're not loving every moment, you're not failing - and you're far from alone.🔑 Key PointsFrom A-grade student to the bottom of the classBecca sailed through pregnancy and birth, then found the postnatal period the hardest thing she'd ever done — and the mismatch between expectation and reality floored her."Enjoy every moment" can do real harmBeing told to treasure a stage you are quietly struggling through can leave mothers feeling ashamed and isolated rather than supported.Not bonding straight away is more common than we admitBecca loved her son but didn't feel the instant, overwhelming rush she'd been promised — and says a baby can feel like a stranger for a long time.D-MER is real and rarely talked aboutDysphoric milk ejection reflex brought a homesick, crushing sadness at every let-down; naming it, years later, changed how she understood it.Maternal rage often comes from feeling unsupportedThe nought-to-a-hundred surge over something tiny is frequently about exhaustion, unmet expectations and carrying too much alone.Asking for help doesn't always get the right responseWhen Becca told her GP she was angry and shouting, she was sent to a psychiatric unit and handed a CBT leaflet — a reminder of how far perinatal support still has to go.Talking openly is its own kind of therapyRanting honestly online led Becca to realise she wasn't the only one — and connecting with other women became the support she couldn't find elsewhere.Honesty is the most useful thing we can offer new parentsNot to frighten anyone, but to sit somewhere between "you'll be great" and "this could be the hardest thing you ever do" — the truth is usually in between.📚 ResourcesA Mother PlaceBecca's platform for honest, unfiltered motherhoodPostnatal Depression (HSE)HSE information and supportTalk Therapy (HSE)Talk therapy and counselling options⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Intro01:51 — From A-grade student to the bottom of the class04:00 — Calling BS on "enjoy every moment"04:52 — The feeding nobody warns you about09:31 — Loneliness and the hours in between11:58 — The GP, a psychiatric unit and a CBT leaflet15:13 — D-MER: the sadness that comes with let-down19:19 — Maternal rage and the spilled-milk surge22:16 — When your baby feels like a stranger24:02 — Renegotiating the relationship after a baby37:11 — Her book, and a ruptured ectopic pregnancy42:28 — The meaning of life is balanceThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "Entertained, Not Educated." — Jennifer Rock on spotting advice you can trust 14.07.2026 5min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, skin expert and Skin Nerd founder Jennifer Rock explains why so much health and skincare advice online is built to entertain rather than educate — and how to tell the difference.She makes a straight-talking case for checking qualifications, standards and the source behind any advice before you act on it, so the next viral "must buy" doesn't catch you out.🔑Key Points• Why qualifications and standards matter in skincare and health• How social media is designed to entertain, not educate• Why you should always check the source of your advice• A simple filter for viral trends and "must buy" claims🎧 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.
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  Darragh Connolly | Penis Pumps, Prostate Health and Sex After Surgery #177 09.07.2026 1h 5min

  Laura sits down with community pharmacist Darragh Connolly, who has built a men's health service — Men's Health Downunder — around something most clinics rush past: helping men get their sexual function back after prostate surgery. It's a candid, frequently very funny conversation about a subject usually wrapped in silence and shame.Darragh explains the male anatomy in plain (and memorable) terms, why nightly "micro-erections" keep the penis healthy, and what actually changes after a prostatectomy. He walks through how a penis pump works, what constriction rings are for, and why this isn't only for men who've had cancer surgery — smoking, diabetes, spinal injury, certain medicines and simply getting older can all play a part.Running through all of it is a hopeful message: a prostate diagnosis or surgery is not the end of sex, intimacy is far more than penetration, and men well into their 80s can still enjoy a full sex life. Darragh also makes the case for meeting men's sexual health at the pharmacy counter, not only the consultant's clinic.🔑 Key PointsSexual health is health — and still tabooThere's deep shame and silence around men's genitals and sexual function, and Darragh's whole approach is to demystify it, often with humour, so men actually seek help.Micro-erections keep the penis healthyMen have around five micro-erections a night that bring blood, oxygen and nutrients to the tissue; without them it's "use it or lose it", and the penis can shrink and lose function.Erectile dysfunction has many causes, not just prostate surgeryAgeing, smoking, diabetes, lower-back trauma, spinal injury and some medications can all affect erectile function.How a penis pump actually worksUsed for five to ten minutes a day, it draws blood into the penis like training a muscle, improving vascular and nerve health over time.Constriction rings let men maintain an erection for sexPaired with the pump, a constriction ring traps blood to hold an erection for penetrative sex — but should never be left on more than six to eight minutes.A prostate diagnosis is not the end of sexWith the right tools, men who hadn't had an erection in months or years can have penetrative sex again — and intimacy is always more than penetration.Know the warning signs of prostate troubleDribbling, a weak stream, going more often (especially at night) and "stage fright" can point to an enlarged prostate; Movember is a good place to learn the signs.📚 ResourcesMen's Health Downunder Darragh Connolly's Irish men's health service and the surgical-grade penis pumps discussedMovemberthe men's health charity Darragh recommends for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and male suicide awareness⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Welcome and sponsor01:36 — Why a pharmacist is talking about men's health03:24 — How Darragh got into men's health04:32 — What a prostatectomy actually involves07:28 — Male anatomy explained simply13:48 — Micro-erections and "use it or lose it"20:55 — How a penis pump works24:31 — Constriction rings and maintaining an erection38:33 — The prostate and its warning signs52:44 — How Viagra and Cialis were discovered57:00 — Low-dose Cialis, the pump and the post-surgery "void"1:01:24 — Couples, intimacy and a hopeful noteThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "This Isn't Your Fault." — Dr Mick Crotty on the biology of weight 07.07.2026 12min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, GP Dr Mick Crotty explains why weight is far less within our conscious control than we are led to believe — and why so many people carry a load of self-blame they never deserved.He walks Laura through the genetics of appetite, the brain's reward response to food, and the "set point" it quietly defends, which is why weight so often returns after a diet. It's a clip that gently takes apart the "just eat less and move more" myth.🔑Key Points• Why "just eat less and move more" is an oversimplification• How genetics and the appetite system shape hunger and fullness• What the brain's "set point" is, and why weight often returns after dieting• Why this is a medical issue, not a personal failing🎧 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.
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  Heavy Bleeding, the Mirena Coil and Speaking Up with Dr Áine Dempsey #176 02.07.2026 41min

  How many women quietly put up with heavy bleeding, painful periods or a difficult coil fitting, telling themselves it is just part of being a woman?In this episode, Laura sits down with obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Áine Dempsey, who works at BlackRock Women's Health and at the Rotunda, for an honest, practical conversation about the things women are so often told to live with - and what can actually be done about them.Áine explains what a hysteroscopy really involves, why polyps and fibroids drive heavy bleeding, and when the Mirena coil is the right first step before ablation or surgery. She is candid about pain relief during coil fittings, the six-month settling period, and where the copper coil fits in.The conversation moves into perimenopause and HRT, smear tests, HPV and colposcopy, and the realities of painful sex, vaginismus and caring for women who carry past sexual trauma. She closes on labour ward life, her own two pregnancies, the magic of epidurals, and why no woman should feel she has to suffer in silence.At its core, this episode is about taking your own symptoms seriously and making your gynae health a priority.🔑 Key PointsHeavy bleeding is not something to put up withchanging a pad every hour, bleeding for more than five days, or planning your life around your period all count, and there is plenty that can help.Flooding is a symptom women rarely volunteerÁine asks directly because most women never mention soaking through their clothes or sheets.A hysteroscopy is not as frightening as it soundsa thin camera and a well-briefed team can investigate bleeding, polyps and fibroids, usually without a general anaesthetic.You deserve proper pain relief for a coil fittingfrom paracetamol and ibuprofen beforehand to numbing gel and a local cervical block.The Mirena coil takes about six months to settlebloating, tenderness or mood changes often ease, and it can be used as part of HRT.HRT is about long-term health, not just symptomsbeyond brain fog and night sweats, it supports heart and bone health.Painful sex is not normalwhether it stems from low oestrogen, endometriosis or past trauma, there are options that help.You do not have to suffer in silenceif something is affecting your quality of life, make your gynae health a priority.📚 ResourcesBlackRock Health Women's Health CentreHysteroscopy (HSE)The Mirena and copper coils (HSE)HRT and menopause treatment (HSE)Cervical screening and HPV (CervicalCheck, HSE)⏱️ Timestamps02:04 - Inside a day at BlackRock Women's Health03:23 - What a hysteroscopy actually involves06:21 - Polyps, fibroids and heavy bleeding09:02 - Heavy bleeding and flooding in perimenopause10:11 - The Mirena coil as a first-line treatment13:56 - Pain relief and what to expect from a coil fitting18:02 - The Mirena as part of HRT, and sleep20:04 - Mental health support through menopause22:35 - Smear tests, HPV and colposcopy24:35 - Painful sex and trauma-informed care29:18 - Vaginismus, physio and the pelvic floor33:34 - Her own pregnancies and epidurals37:56 - Don't suffer in silenceThanks 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.
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  A Generational Story Behind Women & Dieting with Aimee Donnellan #175 25.06.2026 1h

  Aimee Donnellan joins Laura to talk about her new book Off the Scales: The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity, and the much bigger story sitting underneath it - how generations of women learned to live with food.Through interviews with women across the world, Aimee found the same pattern repeating. A trip to a dietitian around the age of seven. A mother quietly carrying her own dieting story, passing it on through Weight Watchers, rice cakes and "don't think cute clothes mean you can come off your diet." For some, GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro have quietened the food noise for the first time in their lives. For others, the more confronting realisation is how differently the world treats them when they shrink.Aimee also explores how the men in her book relate to their bodies very differently, the rising scale of childhood obesity and the shame attached to it, and why the food industry has barely adjusted to a world where appetite itself is shifting. She and Laura reflect on body positivity, menopause and the pressure women carry at every stage of life, before closing on something simpler - why she thinks the meaning of life comes down to picking up the phone.🔑 Key Points1. Dieting often starts in childhood — Many of the women Aimee spoke to were first sent to a dietitian around age seven, framing food as something to manage rather than enjoy.2. Mothers carry the story forward — Weight Watchers, calorie counting and "good" and "bad" foods pass quietly from mother to daughter across generations.3. Food noise can dominate a life — Constant thoughts about food and shame-based self-talk shape how many women move through the world.4. GLP-1 drugs change more than weight — When the food noise quietens, work, relationships, shopping and how others treat you can all shift.5. Men and women relate to weight differently — Men often seek treatment for health reasons, while women carry decades of body criticism and comparison.6. These drugs are not a quick fix — Muscle loss, side effects, cost and the reality of injecting long-term are rarely talked about honestly.7. Childhood obesity is rising — Shame and clinics that don't fit larger bodies stop many families seeking help early.8. The food industry has barely adjusted — Cheap, ultra-processed food still fills shelves, and meaningful change runs into cost and lobbying.📚 ResourcesOff the Scales: The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity — Aimee Donnellan⏱️ Timestamps01:00 — Welcome and the focus of the book03:00 — Why the dieting story starts at age seven04:30 — Rice cakes, Hershey's sauce and a mother's diet06:00 — Sarah's first Wegovy injection07:00 — Losing 70 pounds and a life that changes overnight12:00 — Menopause, microdosing and Ozempic on the black market14:00 — Body positivity, celebrity bodies and the shift back22:00 — Plateaus, muscle loss and life-long drugs28:00 — A Mars executive on a pharma board36:00 — How men relate to their bodies differently41:00 — Childhood obesity, shame and small clinic rooms44:00 — Food deserts and the cost of real change56:00 — Picking up the phone and choosing connectionThanks 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.
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  Grief, Poetry and a New Kind of Masculinity with Darragh Fleming #174 18.06.2026 1h 6min

  Darragh Fleming went viral last year for a poem — but this conversation is about everything that came before it. The Cork writer talks to Laura about a childhood spent lost in books, a long detour through sport and self-doubt, and the years he spent convinced he wasn't creative at all.At seventeen, Darragh lost his close friend Irby to suicide, and the grief changed him profoundly. For years afterwards he felt almost nothing — a numbness he didn't recognise as depression — while quietly performing the emotions other people expected of him. He's honest about the survivor's guilt that made him sabotage his own happiness, the panic attack that became his rock bottom, and how therapy and journaling slowly led him back to writing.From there the conversation opens out into the work Darragh is known for now: poetry that reimagines what it means to be a man. He and Laura discuss why anger is so often the only emotion men feel allowed to show, how language like "toxic masculinity" can shape the way boys see themselves, and why he believes emotionally healthier men make life safer for everyone. Warm, funny and full of hope, it's also a conversation about creativity in everyday life and Darragh's belief that the meaning of life is found in the people we share it with.🔑 Key PointsGrief can arrive as numbness, not sadnessAfter losing his friend Irby at seventeen, Darragh didn't feel constant sadness but a flatness he didn't recognise as depression for years.Survivor's guilt can quietly sabotage a lifeHe describes an unconscious sense that he wasn't allowed to be happy, which led him to undo good things whenever they started going well.Writing became a way back to feelingJournaling suggested by his therapist turned naturally into poetry, helping him name emotions he otherwise couldn't reach.Anger is often the only emotion men feel permittedDarragh argues that sadness, rejection and disappointment frequently come out as anger because men aren't given other outlets.Language shapes how boys see themselvesHearing "toxic" almost always paired with "masculinity" can lead young men to believe masculinity itself is something bad.A lighthouse, not a lifeboatRather than trying to rescue everyone, Darragh sees his public work as showing people a way through and reminding them they're not alone.Success can arrive at the right timeHe reflects on being glad his career didn't take off in his twenties, when he wouldn't have been ready to carry it.📚 ResourcesThoughts Too Big — Darragh's long-running mental health blogIf I Ever Have Boys — Darragh FlemingIf I Ever Have Girls — Darragh FlemingWaiting for the Good Guys — Darragh FlemingThe Hole — Darragh Fleming, a poem on depression and copingDangerous Men — Lucas Jones, the poem Darragh's "If I Ever Have Boys" responded toMental health support — Samaritans, freephone 116 123; Pieta, freephone 1800 247 247 or text 51444⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — "My Dad Could Beat Up Your Dad" (cold open)01:13 — Welcome and introduction05:40 — Going viral with "If I Ever Have Boys"14:53 — Why he started writing17:31 — Losing Irby at seventeen18:42 — The numbness he didn't know was depression21:45 — The panic attack, therapy and journaling33:35 — A lighthouse, not a lifeboat35:23 — Masculinity, the manosphere and raising sons42:42 — Language, mental illness and "toxic masculinity"50:30 — "A Snake Named Snake" and his dad01:01:36 — Darragh reads "My Dad Could Beat Up Your Dad"01:03:09 — Advice for young people and the meaning of lifeThanks 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.
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  Why So Many Women Suffer in Silence with Dr Fadi #173 11.06.2026 50min

  In this episode, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Fadi joins Laura for an open, practical conversation about pelvic floor health, incontinence, prolapse and the realities of modern obstetrics.Dr Fadi explains how childbirth, ageing and menopause affect the pelvic floor, and why so many women end up living with stress incontinence, prolapse and faecal incontinence in silence. He walks through the full range of treatment options — from physiotherapy and pessaries to urethral bulking, Botox, sacral neuromodulation, robotic surgery, and the mesh procedures paused in Ireland since 2018.The conversation also takes in interstitial cystitis, vaginal oestrogen, the impact of long inductions on older mothers, and the trade-offs women now weigh up between a vaginal delivery and a caesarean section. Dr Fadi closes with a reflection on his time working with Syrian refugees, where he met 13-year-old mothers and a 26-year-old grandmother.🔑 Key Points1. Pelvic floor problems are common and treatable — Stress incontinence, prolapse and faecal incontinence are usually linked to childbirth, not an inevitable part of being a woman.2. Mesh for incontinence has been paused in Ireland since 2018 — Ireland is the only country in the world where this procedure is currently unavailable, and patients are being sent to Spain to access it.3. There is no single fix for incontinence — Treatment depends on the type, from physiotherapy and urethral bulking to mesh slings, Botox into the bladder wall, and sacral neuromodulators.4. Prolapse is not just the womb — Bladder, womb and rectum can all prolapse, each with their own grade and treatment pathway.5. Pessaries give women back some control — Different types of pessary can hold a prolapse in place, and many women can learn to manage their own at home.6. Faecal incontinence is more common than women admit — Third and fourth degree tears at delivery can damage the anal sphincter, and primary repair at the time of birth gives the best outcome.7. Vaginal oestrogen is a low-risk, high-impact tool — It can ease overactive bladder, recurrent UTIs, dryness, and slow the progression of prolapse after menopause.8. Older mothers face different trade-offs — Long inductions, instrumental deliveries and unplanned caesareans are more common, which is why some women are now actively asking for a planned section.📚 ResourcesLove Your Vulva — Laura DowlingfabÜ Hello HealingContinence Foundation of Ireland⏱️ Timestamps01:46 — Introducing Dr Fadi and urogynaecology02:49 — Why pelvic floor problems happen04:14 — Assessing pelvis and baby size before delivery05:09 — Robotic surgery and vault prolapse06:34 — Stress incontinence and mesh as the gold standard09:01 — Why mesh has been paused in Ireland12:31 — Sending Irish patients to Spain for mesh14:25 — Botox for overactive bladder and Interstim15:43 — Faecal incontinence and tears at delivery19:17 — Interstitial cystitis and hyaluronic acid21:21 — Types and grades of prolapse24:25 — How a pessary works28:01 — Surgery for prolapse34:18 — Vaginal oestrogen and pelvic floor36:08 — Epidurals and instrumental delivery37:25 — Why more women are asking for caesareans45:00 — Working with Syrian refugees48:32 — Advice for young people and the meaning of lifeThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "She Wasn't Lazy. She Was Drowning." — Dr Sarah Carty on ADHD in girls 09.06.2026 6min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, GP Dr Sarah Carty explains why ADHD looks so different in girls and women — and why so many only recognise it years, sometimes decades, after it first showed up.She tells Laura how the "quiet" presentation — daydreaming, internal restlessness, working twice as hard to look fine — slowly turns into anxiety, perfectionism, and a quiet erosion of confidence. It's a clip that gives language to something a lot of women have silently carried for years.🔑 Key PointsWhy girls are diagnosed much later than boys — and what gets missedMasking, and how it shows up as perfectionism, daydreaming, or "just being quiet"The link between unrecognised ADHD and anxiety, panic and exhaustionHow girls end up labelling themselves as "stupid", "lazy" or "not academic" — and why that's so far from the truthWhy the right diagnosis can change a person's whole self-story🎧 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.
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  What Menopause Care Should Really Look Like with Dr Caoimhe Hartley #172 04.06.2026 57min

  What does proper midlife care actually look like, and who keeps getting left out of it?In this episode, Laura sits down with Dr Caoimhe Hartley - founder of Menopause Health in Dalkey, clinical lead of the Complex Menopause Clinic in the Rotunda, and clinical lead for women's medicine at the new BlackRock Health Women's Health Centre.They talk about the women being told no - those over 60 who feel they have missed the boat on HRT, and those who have come through breast cancer and are still struggling with symptoms. Caoimhe explains where the evidence actually sits on bones, blood vessels and brain, why so much of what gets repeated still comes from the Women's Health Initiative, and how modern HRT differs from the older oral preparations.The conversation moves through midlife weight gain and changing body shape, the rise in adult ADHD diagnoses, and the link between oestrogen and dopamine. They also dig into osteoporosis screening in Ireland, why there is no national DEXA programme, dietary calcium, and the histamine flare some women notice on HRT.Throughout, Caoimhe keeps coming back to the same point - care should be personal, joined up and built around the woman in front of you.🔑 Key PointsGuidelines are broad, not personalThey are starting points, not prescriptions, and individual risk-benefit has to lead the conversation.Women over 60 are not automatically locked out of HRTThere is no longer evidence that starting later raises heart attack risk, and bone benefit is available at any age.The WHI still shapes the conversationA flawed 1990s study using Premarin and older progestins is still behind fears that do not map onto modern HRT.The brain adapts after menopauseHot flushes, night sweats and brain fog are not designed to last forever, and most women in their 70s and 80s are not symptomatic.Breast cancer survivors deserve a real menopause conversationVaginal oestrogen is generally safe, complex menopause clinics exist for a reason, and non-hormonal options matter.Body shape change is real and largely hormonalCentral weight gain is one of the top three things women raise, and no specific HRT fixes it, though better sleep and mood help.ADHD is being unmasked in midlifeAs oestrogen falls, dopamine regulation shifts and previously well-managed traits can come to the surface.Ireland has no national DEXA screeningDespite international guidance over 65, screening here is opportunistic and goes through your GP.80% of bone density is geneticPeak bone density is in your 30s, with the remaining fifth shaped by vitamin D, calcium, weight-bearing exercise and not smoking.📚 ResourcesMenopause Health Clinic, DalkeyBlackRock Health Women's Health CentreWomen's Health Initiative (WHI)Danish Osteoporosis Prevention Study (DOPS)International Osteoporosis Foundation calcium calculatorBritish Menopause SocietyNational BreastCheck⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Why joined-up midlife care matters03:20 — Women over 60 and HRT05:10 — Bones, brain and the limits of the 60 cut-off07:50 — Why the WHI still shapes the conversation13:00 — The brain adapts after menopause16:00 — Breast cancer and complex menopause care20:30 — Cardiovascular health and nitric oxide23:00 — Body shape change and central weight gain27:00 — Ozempic and oral progesterone28:30 — ADHD, oestrogen and dopamine33:00 — Osteoporosis and DEXA screening in Ireland41:00 — Histamine, HRT and hay fever43:00 — Later motherhood and perimenopause overlap54:30 — Advice for younger womenThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "We Cured Your Cancer. You Should Be Grateful." — Dr Deirdre Lundy on HRT after breast cancer 02.06.2026 7min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, menopause specialist Dr Deirdre Lundy walks Laura through how decisions about HRT and family history of breast cancer actually get made in clinic — and why a blanket "no" rarely tells the full story. If you've ever been handed that flat refusal, this is for you.She unpacks the difference between "a family history" and a strong family history, why outdated fears around HRT and breast cancer have cost women years of their lives, and why surviving cancer shouldn't mean accepting a wrecked quality of life with no support.🔑 Key PointsWhat "strong family history" really means — and why it isn't a blanket noHow specialists balance risk versus quality of life in real clinic conversationsWhy so many women have been wrongly told HRT is off the tableThe wider point: survivorship deserves more than "you should be grateful"What to ask for if you've been refused HRT and want a second look🎧 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.
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  Pamela Deasy | Trusting Her Gut: A Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Story #171 28.05.2026 52min

  Pamela Deasy was in her early 40s, working full time and volunteering with the RNLI, when fatigue started dragging her back into bed in the middle of the day. Her bloods were clear. She was told it was perimenopause, then depression. Months passed before a kinesiologist, of all people, pointed at her pancreas — and within days she was in a Cork hospital being told she had a tumour.In this episode, Pamela sits down with Laura to walk through what happened next: the chemotherapy that made her legs turn to jelly, the five and a half weeks of daily radiotherapy that put her on her back in hospital, and the Whipple surgery that took out the head of her pancreas, part of her stomach, part of her intestine, her gallbladder and her spleen. Then the slower, quieter battle that came after — the seven and a half stone she lost, the survivor guilt nobody warned her about, the Survive and Thrive programme that helped her step back into the world, and the small camping toilet she now keeps in her car because that is the honest reality of life after Whipple surgery.Pamela also shares why she co-founded Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, what the signs of pancreatic cancer actually look like, and why "listen to your gut and keep going back" might be the most important sentence you hear this week.🔑 Key PointsWhy fatigue was Pamela's only consistent symptom — and how easy it was to put down to a busy life, perimenopause and then depressionThe signs of pancreatic cancer worth knowing: persistent tiredness, pain in the tummy that radiates to the back, floaty stools, dark urine, jaundice, an itch with no rash, new pre-diabetesWhat Whipple surgery actually involves, and why it is described as life-saving but life-alteringThe realities of life after a rewired digestive system, from packing a change of clothes to always knowing where the toilet isThe chemotherapy side effects that have lingered for years — neuropathy, Raynaud's, cold intoleranceSurvivor guilt, the drop-off in support after the "all clear", and finding her way back through the Survive and Thrive programmeWhy pancreatic cancer is projected to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030Pamela's everyday philosophy: advocate for yourself, listen to your gut, and treasure the ordinary days📚 ResourcesPancreatic Cancer IrelandSurvive and Thrive⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Welcome00:27 — Blackrock Health Women's Health Centre01:34 — Introducing Pamela and trusting your gut02:13 — 2018: fatigue, busy work and the RNLI03:04 — Going back to the GP again and again05:01 — A kidney scan and "the good news is there's no cancer"06:00 — Being told she might be depressed06:16 — A kinesiologist who pointed at her pancreas07:17 — Jaundice and the alarm bell08:51 — Friday 7th December: into hospital in Cork09:22 — "You have a tumour in your pancreas"12:02 — What Whipple surgery actually is13:00 — Six rounds of chemotherapy13:30 — Side effects: falling, neuropathy, Raynaud's17:48 — Radiotherapy, gemcitabine and six weeks in hospital21:51 — Whipple surgery on 15 August 201923:20 — What was removed during Whipple24:17 — Losing seven and a half stone and severe cachexia26:14 — Ascites and the slow road back29:48 — From patient to survivor30:23 — Survivor guilt and finding therapy31:11 — The Survive and Thrive programme31:38 — Life after a rewired digestive system34:55 — Pancreatic cancer statistics in Ireland36:00 — The signs and symptoms worth knowing42:00 — Setting up Pancreatic Cancer Ireland47:58 — Where to find Pamela49:25 — Advice for younger people, and the meaning of life51:38 — Blackrock Health Women's Health CentreThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "The Second Christmas Nearly Broke Me." — Dr Mary Ryan on grief 26.05.2026 6min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, endocrinologist Dr Mary Ryan opens up about losing her husband unexpectedly while raising three small children, and what grief actually looked like for her in the years that followed.She tells Laura about the shock, the anger, and the long fog of those first two years — and the small, practical things that helped: leaning into bonding routines with her kids, accepting help from family, friends and even her own patients, and letting people in when every part of her wanted to push them away.🔑 Key PointsWhy grief, in her experience, takes around two years — and why the second Christmas is often the hardestThe "dark hole" she fell into, and what slowly pulled her outHow she kept life moving day-to-day for three young childrenThe quiet role of family, friends and patients in keeping her goingA gentle, honest take on how you don't really "get over" loss — you come through it🎧 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.
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  Caroline Foran | The Nervous System, Anxiety & PDA Parenting #170 21.05.2026 1h 8min

  Anxiety author Caroline Foran joins Laura for a deeply personal conversation about parenting a young son recently diagnosed as autistic with a PDA profile, alongside her own long history with anxiety.Caroline talks openly about the years before the diagnosis, the blame she turned inward, and everything she has had to unlearn about parenting. She explains what PDA — Pervasive Drive for Autonomy — actually looks like day to day, why traditional approaches can make things worse, and the social pressure of being seen to "manage" a child whose nervous system is set on high alert.She also shares her own anxiety story, from a frightening breakdown at sixteen in Italy through to the severe physical anxiety that took over her twenties. Caroline talks about medication, CBT, and the years of work behind her new book Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety, and why so much of recovery came from showing her body safety rather than trying to outthink her own mind.🔑 Key PointsDiscovering a PDA profile — Caroline explains Pervasive Drive for Autonomy and what it means for her son's nervous system day to day.Why traditional parenting backfires — Holding firm boundaries can push a PDA child straight into fight or flight, even at five.Lowering the demands — A low-demand, declarative-language approach has reshaped everyday life at home.Performative parenting — The urge to respond to her son for the benefit of onlookers, even with close friends.The years before the diagnosis — A bumpy COVID start, severe separation anxiety and two preschool attempts that left him distressed.Caroline's anxiety story — A breakdown at sixteen in Italy and a severe physical episode at twenty-five.Medication, CBT and self-compassion — Prozac, behavioural therapy and learning to respond to anxiety with kindness rather than self-attack.Showing the body safety — Why walking, rhythm and bottom-up regulation worked better than trying to master her thoughts.The cost of constant stimulation — Social media, the pleasure–pain balance and collective anxiety since COVID.📚 ResourcesEverything I Wish I'd Known About AnxietyOwning ItPDA SocietyCasey Ehrlich (Peace Parents)Dr Anna Lembke — Dopamine Nation⏱️ Timestamps02:00 — "Is he non-verbal?" introducing her son02:30 — Autism with a PDA profile03:00 — What PDA stands for04:30 — Nervous system disability and perceived demand06:00 — Why traditional parenting can backfire08:00 — Performative parenting in public10:00 — A pillow on the grass and what dysregulation looks like13:00 — Blaming herself before the diagnosis17:00 — Sensory overwhelm and rethinking exposure20:00 — Preschool, school and what comes next30:00 — Family life, marriage and never a date night33:30 — Caroline's anxiety story begins in Italy39:00 — A severe breakdown at twenty-five45:00 — Starting medication and what Prozac actually did51:00 — CBT, behavioural experiments and getting her life back56:00 — Showing the body safety59:00 — Social media and the pleasure–pain balance01:04:00 — Caroline's new book01:05:30 — Advice and the meaning of lifeThanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "I Thought I Was Fine. I Wasn't." — Kyla Cobbler on getting sober 19.05.2026 6min

  In this bitesize moment pulled from the Laura Dowling Experience back catalogue, comedian Kyla Cobbler shares an honest, no-frills account of how her drinking quietly turned into dependency — while she was still training, working, and gigging five nights a week.She tells Laura how being a regular performer in Barcelona blurred the lines between socialising and self-medicating, and how Dry January cracked the whole thing open. What started as a simple challenge ended in withdrawal, therapy, AA, and a completely new relationship with fear, nerves, and joy on stage.🔑 Key PointsHow "high-functioning" drinking can hide a much bigger problemThe cycle of running, gigging, free drinks — and waking up groggy every single morningWhat withdrawal actually felt like by day two of Dry JanuaryWhy it was never about the red wine — it was about wanting to feel differentPerforming sober for the first time, and learning to feel everything instead of numbing it🎧 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.
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  Barbara Scully | The Things They Don't Tell You About Getting Older #169 14.05.2026 1h 30min

  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 PointsTrusting your gut with healthcareAfter 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 callA type 2 diagnosis in her mid-50s pushed her into healthier habits and into remission for two years.Brain fog reframedWomen in their 60s have decades more information stored than younger people; what is labelled brain fog is information retrieval slowdown.Anger after menopause is realAs life pressures lift, you have the headspace to notice ongoing inequalities, and that anger is not a hormonal mood swing.Underestimated, not invisibleBeing 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 conformityA 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 1987Barbara 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 motherHer 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.📚 ResourcesWise Up — Barbara ScullyMemoir reflecting on the years after menopause.Older Bolder WiserBarbara's one-woman comedy show currently touring Irish theatres.Funny Women IrelandSet up by Orla Doherty and Val Troy to promote women in comedy.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 — Hip pain and the MRI run-around03:00 — Stepping off the treadmill of tests07:30 — Type 2 diabetes and remission09:30 — Why brain fog is not what we are told11:00 — Anger after menopause is real13:00 — Underestimated rather than invisible17:00 — Letting the hair go grey22:00 — The freedom of getting older28:00 — A first smear test in the 80s36:00 — Growing up tall and the slow set44:00 — Giving up red wine and finding gin48:00 — Her mother as collaborator56:00 — Losing her mother in 2022Thanks 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.
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  Bitesize Moment: "I Haven't Felt Right in Three Years." — Dr Sarah Callaghan on how perimenopause sneaks up 12.05.2026 6min

  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 PointsWhy perimenopause symptoms rarely arrive all at once — and why that mattersThe fluctuating, "good week / bad week" pattern that makes women doubt themselvesCommon mislabels: postnatal anxiety, stress, grief, COVID, burnoutThe "I just don't feel like myself" phrase she hears in clinic over and overWhy 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.