Psilocybin, PTSD, and Perimenopause

Episode 14 - 12/25/25

In this episode of Welcome to Your B-Side, Dr. Amy Lindsey shares something deeply personal: her relationship with psilocybin, and how guided psilocybin therapy impacted her PTSD, nervous system, and sense of self.

For a long time, she kept this part of her story quieter than she wanted to because of how psilocybin is viewed in conventional medicine. As research continues to grow and clinical use expands in certain settings, she believes it’s time for more honest conversations about what healing can look like in midlife.

Dr. Amy walks through what brought her PTSD to the surface during a dark season of depression, why talk therapy alone wasn’t enough at that point in her life, and what shifted during two guided psilocybin sessions in a therapeutic setting.

She also breaks down the science, including the role of the default mode network, why trauma can trap the brain in rumination and stress loops, and how psilocybin appears to interrupt those patterns so new neural connections can form.

The conversation then turns to midlife, where hormonal shifts are a key part of mental health. Changes in estrogen, progesterone, and serotonin during perimenopause and menopause affect mood, cognition, and stress response. This episode connects those dots and explains why this context matters in conversations about mental health and healing in midlife.

In this episode, Dr. Amy shares:

  • The origin of her PTSD and why it intensified during periods of prolonged and compounded stress

  • Why talk therapy alone was no longer enough

  • What guided psilocybin therapy looks like in a therapeutic setting

  • How psilocybin disrupted long-standing stress and rumination loops

  • The emotional and spiritual experiences that surfaced during treatment

  • How trauma healing, neuroplasticity, and midlife hormone shifts intersect

Important note: Psilocybin is not for everyone, and legality varies by location. Always consult a qualified medical professional and follow local laws.

Reminder: Nothing in this podcast is a substitute for medical or professional advice. Always consult your own doctor.

KEY MOMENTS:

  • 00:00 — Why Dr. Amy is sharing her psilocybin story now
  • 03:27 — The trauma that shaped decades of PTSD
  • 08:05 — When talk therapy wasn’t enough and a bigger intervention became necessary
  • 10:12 — What psilocybin shifted in the stress response and grief processing
  • 13:39 — The spiritual remembering and why it mattered for healing
  • 25:16 — Life after PTSD: changes in the body, parenting, and nervous system
  • 28:00: — The midlife connection: hormones, serotonin, and why this matters in perimenopause


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