In this episode of RTDB (Rock the Damn Boat), I’m talking about something that doesn’t get nearly enough daylight: the increased risk of suicide during menopause — and what can happen when hormone or medication changes impact your mental health.

This Sunday Shortie is personal.

I’m sharing my own experience with medication adjustments that unexpectedly triggered intrusive and suicidal thoughts — not because I wanted to die, but because my brain chemistry shifted. If you’ve ever felt blindsided by anxiety, depression, or dark thoughts during perimenopause or postmenopause, you are not broken — and you are not alone.

We’ll talk about:

• The link between menopause, hormone shifts, and mental health
• Why medication changes (including HRT or antidepressants) can temporarily intensify symptoms
• Why to discuss this with your doctor, even if they are dismissive
• The importance of monitoring mood during hormonal r medication transitions

Menopause mental health is still wildly under-discussed — especially in high-functioning women who “look fine” on the outside.

If you’re navigating perimenopause, postmenopause, hormone therapy, antidepressants, ADHD, or mood instability in midlife, this episode is a reminder: your brain deserves support just as much as your body.

If this conversation resonates, please share it with a woman who might need to hear it.

And if you’re struggling right now, reach out for professional help immediately. You are not meant to carry this alone.

9-8-8 is the national suicide hotline in the United States.

You can reach me at christy@thrivewithchristy.com for more resources on substance abuse.

Learn about my upcoming retreats or work with me by visiting thrivewithchristy.com

What happens when time passes between texts, calls, or visits—and shame fills in the gaps?

In this episode, I explore theory of mind and how our ability (and tendency) to assume what others are thinking can quietly sabotage friendships. When we haven’t heard from someone in a while, our brains often jump to self-blaming stories: I did something wrong. They’re upset. They don’t care anymore.

But what if none of that is true?

I share how shame convinces us to stay silent and how we can move forward with courage: by reaching out without over-explaining, releasing relationships that have naturally run their course, and making peace with the fact that not every friendship is meant to last forever.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever stared at their phone, wanting to reconnect—but letting shame stop them.

In this episode:

• What theory of mind is—and how it works against us in adult friendships
• Why silence often has nothing to do with rejection
• How shame convinces us to assume the worst about ourselves
• The difference between grief and shame when friendships change
• When reaching out is brave—and when letting go is healthy
• How to stop making neutral situations mean something about your worth

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do isn’t protecting ourselves from rejection—it’s refusing to let shame write a story that was never true in the first place.

In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat, I sit down with Alicia "ACE" Easter, founder of Ace Yoga LA, for an honest conversation about leaving corporate life, navigating burnout, and building a career rooted in alignment rather than approval.

ACE shares her journey from the corporate world into full-time yoga teaching in Los Angeles—and the emotional, financial, and identity shifts that come with making a major career pivot. We talk candidly about entrepreneurial alignment, trusting intuition after years of external expectations, and how yoga becomes a grounding practice during seasons of uncertainty.

This episode is for women craving something more—those questioning the “safe path,” navigating a career transition, or craving more meaning in their work and lives. It’s a grounded, real-world look at what happens after you leap, and how to build something sustainable without losing yourself in the process.

In this episode, we explore:

• Leaving corporate life without a perfect plan
• Newfound freedom and nervous system regulation
• The realities of entrepreneurship for women
• Yoga as a tool for clarity, resilience, and self-trust
• Redefining success beyond productivity and income

Whether you’re a yoga teacher, creative, founder, or woman navigating a career change, this conversation offers reassurance, perspective, and permission to listen to what your body and intuition already know.

Follow ACE and support her work at aceyogala.com

Subscribe to her Substack The Life of a Ram

Check out three of her boat-rocking role models:

Rae Okino: https://www.raeokino.com/

Maryam Hasnaa: https://www.maryamhasnaa.com/

Imani Cohen: https://thehoodhealer.com/

Learn more about Christy's work at thrivewithchristy.com

including her upcoming Texas and Tahoe retreats