Hot Flushes & How to Manage Them – The Happy Menopause Podcast

Season 3 • Episode 8
Dr Melanie Smith, Clinical Health Psychologist

Probably the most well-known of the menopausal symptoms, the hot flush has provided endless material for humourists over the years but it’s no fun when it’s happening to you. It can cause huge distress, especially in a professional or social situation or if it’s persistently disrupting your sleep. But help is at hand in this episode with this month’s guest who is just the woman we need to provide us with some practical flush-busting strategies.

My guest is the brilliant Dr Melanie Smith – she’s a clinical health psychologist who played a key role, alongside Professor Myra Hunter, in developing and facilitating the first cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT as it’s often known, for menopause groups as part of an innovative research trial. This research demonstrates that CBT is a valid and effective non-medical approach to managing menopause symptoms and Melanie is here today to explain to us what a huge difference it can make to dealing with hot flushes.

We discuss what hot flushes are and why they happen. Melanie explains what CBT is and why a psychological approach can help to tackle something that seems to be such a physical problem. We explore the role of stress in triggering and exacerbating hot flushes and Melanie shares some practical strategies to help you combat them.

If you enjoy this episode, please tell your friends and family, and leave a 5-star rating and a review on Apple Podcasts or whichever platform you listen on, as it really helps to spread the word, so that new listeners can find the show. Because every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Show Notes

Take a look at Melanie’s two books:

Managing Hot Flushes & Night Sweats: A Cognitive Behavioural Self-Help Guide to the Menopause by Professor Myra Hunter & Doctor Melanie Smith

Living Well Through the Menopause by Professor Myra Hunter & Doctor Melanie Smith

Check out this information sheet on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Menopause Symptoms on the Women’s Health Concern website

Discover my top 10 flush-busting foods in my podcast Food & Fashion to Fight Hot Flushes