By playing, you agree to uListen's Terms and Privacy Policy and YouTube's Terms of Service.
The Mel Robbins PodcastWhat Your Doctor May Be Missing: The Real Reason for Moodiness, Acne, Weight Gain, and Anxiety
Summaries, chapters, transcripts, and FAQs on this page are made by uListen, not YouTube.
Great conversations run long. Their best ideas don't have to.
uListen is free on iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome, and Claude.
See howAt a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Why women’s hormone, mood, and fertility symptoms get dismissed
- Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi argues that many women are dismissed in healthcare, leaving conditions like PMOS and endometriosis undiagnosed until symptoms worsen or fertility is affected.
- She explains PMOS (a newer name for PCOS) and outlines a practical diagnosis approach using two of three criteria: irregular ovulation/periods, MOS ovaries or elevated AMH/high egg count findings, and clinical signs of high testosterone such as acne and excess hair.
- She connects insulin resistance to inflammation, ovarian testosterone production, irregular ovulation, and mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, brain fog, cravings, and PMDD-like experiences.
- She describes endometriosis as inflammatory implants outside the uterus that can cause severe pain, adhesions, and fertility issues, and notes diagnosis often takes many years and may require specialist surgical evaluation.
- She addresses PMDD as a severe cyclic mood disorder and discusses treatment approaches including stopping ovulation with certain birth control strategies and using SSRIs continuously or only during the symptomatic window.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasWomen’s symptoms are frequently minimized or mislabeled instead of properly diagnosed.
She argues that many women leave appointments without evaluation for underlying conditions, and that even a routine “well-woman exam” can be inadequate if it’s limited to a Pap smear and quick screening topics.
PMOS can be identified with a simple criteria-based diagnosis, but is often missed.
She describes PMOS as a renamed and clearer framework for PCOS, emphasizing it’s “easy to diagnose” using two out of three criteria: ovulatory dysfunction (irregular/infrequent periods), MOS-appearing ovaries/high egg count on ultrasound or elevated AMH (18+), and clinical signs of high testosterone (acne, facial/body hair, hair thinning).
Dr. Aliabadi frames PMOS as a metabolic/hormonal domino effect driven by insulin resistance.
She explains a chain from insulin resistance to higher insulin, inflammatory visceral fat storage, ovarian testosterone overproduction, disrupted ovulation and progesterone, and downstream symptoms including weight gain, acne/hair changes, brain fog, and mood issues.
Mood and anxiety symptoms may be downstream effects of PMOS physiology, not just standalone psychiatric issues.
She says PMOS can “set the limbic system on fire” because of erratic estrogen, low progesterone (from lack of ovulation), and high inflammation, while the brain’s “brake system” is weakened by stress, sleep issues, and hormonal disruption—leading many patients to be treated only for anxiety, depression, or eating disorders.
PMOS treatment in the episode centers on addressing insulin resistance through lifestyle and selected medications.
She recommends starting with diet changes (limiting carbohydrates/processed and inflammatory foods), exercise (including 15-minute walks after meals), and supplements; she also discusses metformin for insulin resistance and GLP-1 medications as tools that address insulin resistance and may restore ovulation in some patients.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesI call my office the Office of Dismissed Women.
— Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
No one did their egg count. No one diagnosed their endo. No one diagnosed their PMOS. And now they're 40, and they cannot have any children because no one ever told them, no one ever correctly diagnosed them.
— Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
That's not a well-woman exam. And if this is what you're getting, then you are getting dismissed.
— Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
None of it is normal. Fight for it. Educate yourself. Empower yourself, and become your own health advocate. That's the only way to survive this healthcare system.
— Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
No one on this planet cares about your body or your health as much as you do.
— Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
Ask ChatGPT about this episode
Get its key ideas, plus a summary of each chapter linked to that point in the video, right in your chat.
Add uListen AI to ChatGPT.
Install uListen AI in ChatGPT (opens in a new tab)Needs a ChatGPT account.Paste this prompt into a new chat.
Use uListen AI to give me this episode's key ideas and a chapter-by-chapter summary, with timestamps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUegw_zKVxc
SPEAKERS
Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
guestWorld-renowned OB-GYN focused on women’s reproductive and endocrine health, including PCOS/PMOS, endometriosis, PMDD, and fertility care.
Host of The Mel Robbins Podcast and interviewer guiding audience-focused conversations.
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
