Perimenopause at 38? I felt robbed, says Emma Barnett

TV presenter Emma Barnett said finding out she was going through perimenopause at the age of 38 left her feeling like she had been “robbed, robbed”.

Barnett, now 40, said it was “the first time in my life that I didn't really want to be a woman – the first time I thought I'd really like to be a guy.”

She spoke on her new BBC podcast: Ready to talk to Emma BarnettThe first episode of which was released on Friday.

Perimenopausewhich usually occurs around age 46, is when you have symptoms of menopause but your periods have not stopped. These symptoms may include anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flashes, and irregular periods.

In the episode, Barnett says that during perimenopause, she felt like she had lost her identity and that she was still waiting to “get back” to who she used to be.

Speaking to friend and guest Kate Thornton, she continues: “I feel like there's been a theft. I feel like there is no emergency number to call. “I would like to report a crime. Yes, someone stole me.” There is no one to report this to.”

Thornton, also a journalist and television presenter, spoke about her own experience of perimenopause, saying the “worst” thing she's experienced is going from being someone “who can multitask… very capable” to someone who feels “completely incapacitated.”

Barnett has previously spoken out about her health. In 2019, she wrote a book, Period: It's Bloody Time, in which she talks about her experience with endometriosis.

During the podcast episode, she said it was “pretty nerve-wracking” to share parts of her life, but she “wanted to create that space for other people to be willing to talk about things.”

Barnett, who hosted Radio 4's Woman's Hour until last year, said she eventually wanted to create a podcast so she could not only tell others' stories, but also share her views and experiences with listeners.

“I usually do interviews, I usually host,” Barnett told Thornton.

“It's not easy to share, and I know that, and I think that's why it's important for the interviewer to do it when it's appropriate – not always, because it's not my job and it's not about me – but where it's appropriate, and especially when you're asking others to do the same, share yourself.”

At the end of the episode, Barnett could be heard expressing hope that “the normalization that we've both been talking about should happen during perimenopause, and this hormonal degradation that happens from… age 30 all the way into women can move into common language.”

“And that doesn’t mean it’s any less extraordinary or outrageous, but how we deal with it may change,” she added.

How to Treat Menopause Symptoms

An increasing number of women are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve menopausal symptoms.

HRT increases and stabilizes estrogen levels, sometimes in combination with a synthetic or bioidentical version of progesterone.

But it may not be suitable for people who have a history of certain types of cancer, blood clots and high blood pressure.

Women can also improve their well-being by:

• Eat a balanced diet that is low in fat and high in calcium to strengthen your bones and protect your heart.

• regular exercise to reduce anxiety, stress and protect against heart disease.

• Quitting smoking to prevent heart disease and hot flashes

• avoiding alcohol to reduce hot flashes

There are also studies that suggest that consuming plant estrogens, found in soy and red clover, may help relieve symptoms.

Talk therapy, known as CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) may be offered to women over 40 years of age along with HRT. – or, if the individual circumstances of the patient so require, instead of him.

“Ready to Talk to Emma Barnett” is on Sounds of the BBC from November 7 and will be published in weekly episodes.