499: Anxiety, Depression & Nervous System Regulation for Midlife Women with Dr. Kristine Gravino
Midlife Conversations with Natalie Jill: Fat Loss, Hormones & Health for Women Over 40
Natalie Jill
4.8 • 635 Ratings
🗓️ 23 December 2025
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
If you're lying awake with racing thoughts, feeling constant overwhelm, or wondering if your midlife anxiety is "normal" or something more serious, this conversation will change how you think about mental health. Dr. Kristine Gravino, a psychologist specializing in midlife women, reveals why one out of two women struggle with anxiety and depression during this phase and it's directly connected to your dropping estrogen levels.
We're diving deep into the questions you're actually asking: When is Xanax okay? Is that nightly wine helping or hurting? What does "regulating your nervous system" actually mean beyond the trendy Instagram posts? And most importantly, what CAN you do about racing thoughts and constant anxiety without buying more gadgets or taking more pills?
Dr. Gravino shares the breathing technique you're probably doing wrong (hint: it's not the inhale that calms you down), why your brain desperately needs carbohydrates even though you've been told to fear them for 30 years, and the bare minimum strategies that actually work when you're feeling completely paralyzed by overwhelm.
Plus, I'm opening up about my recent health journey with histamine intolerance and how it completely changed my understanding of the nervous system-cortisol-anxiety connection. This isn't just another conversation about "self-care", rather, it's about understanding what's actually happening in your body and getting real, science-backed tools to feel better now.
Catch the full episode on YOUTUBE HERE: https://bit.ly/MidlifeConversationsYouTube
Learn More About Dr. Kristine Gravino
Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/DrKGravinoWellness
Website ➜ https://drkgravinowellness.com/
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Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.
Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Anxiety and depression seem to be very hot topics with midlife women specifically. |
| 0:05.8 | And it tends to be more talked about, I believe, in late 40s, 50s, even early 60s is this |
| 0:12.3 | prime time. |
| 0:13.0 | And what's unique for that age group is we didn't use to talk about that. |
| 0:18.2 | Welcome to Midlife Conversations. |
| 0:20.2 | I'm your host, Natalie Gill, and I'm passionate about |
| 0:22.6 | having amazing conversations that matter to us midlife women. On this podcast, I do what I do |
| 0:28.3 | best, taking complicated health topics and breaking them down simply so that we can |
| 0:32.8 | optimize aging together. I share actionable steps to help you thrive in what I believe are our best |
| 0:38.8 | years to come. Join me as I interview the most inspiring people living their best midlife years |
| 0:44.4 | and dive into essential topics like hormone changes, health optimization, weight management, |
| 0:49.2 | blood sugar, emotional well-being, relationships, beauty, and so much more. |
| 0:55.2 | Anxiety and depression seem to be very hot topics with midlife women specifically. |
| 1:00.4 | We didn't used to talk about that years and years ago. |
| 1:03.2 | It was kind of this hush, hush, keep it quiet, don't share. |
| 1:06.2 | And now with online and the chat GPT conversations and just the whole slew of social media posts |
| 1:13.7 | making it normal, we seem to hear about anxiety and depression a lot. But what happens when |
| 1:19.2 | it's debilitating and you are unable to actually get out and enjoy your regular life? And how do you |
| 1:25.9 | know if it's just normal sadness or normal anxious |
| 1:28.8 | feelings or it's actually a problem? And what can we actually do about it? And when, if ever, |
| 1:34.9 | is medication appropriate? Like when is Xanax? Okay. And if we're self-soothing ourselves, |
| 1:40.2 | if we're actually doing things like drinking wine or even having CBD oil or THC |
... |
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