Dr. Brendan McCarthy

The Silent Stress That’s Harming Women’s Health

Why do so many women struggle with autoimmune issues, fertility challenges, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain—despite following medical advice?
In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, NMD, explores the overlooked connection between self-silencing—the habit of suppressing your voice, needs, and emotions—and women’s health. Drawing on years of patient care and research, he explains how chronic stress from silencing yourself impacts the body at a biochemical level, and what you can do about it.
You’ll learn:✔️ How self-silencing triggers stress pathways that worsen inflammation and disease✔️ Why heart rate variability is a powerful tool for tracking stress✔️ Simple, science-backed therapies—from cold plunging to nutrition to breathing techniques✔️ How physicians can address both the cause and the symptoms of stress-related illness✔️ What treatments may help stabilize autoimmunity, cardiovascular risk, and fertility issues
This episode wraps up Dr. McCarthy’s series on self-silencing and offers practical strategies to support healing while doing the deeper inner work.
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
 
👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.
 
📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604
 
📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:
Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy
Website: www.protealife.com
 
💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

The Hidden Link Between Self-Silencing and Fertility

In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer at Protea Medical Center in Tempe, Arizona, explores how self-silencing—the cultural pressure for women to suppress their voices and needs—can directly affect fertility.
Dr. McCarthy discusses:
The emotional toll of self-silencing on women’s identity and value
How chronic stress impacts ovulation, progesterone, and conception
Why the medical system often overlooks stress as a factor in infertility
A more compassionate, integrative approach to fertility care
This episode is part of a larger series on self-silencing and women’s health.
 
If you’ve struggled with fertility or felt unheard in medical settings, this conversation offers insight and hope.
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
 
👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.
 
📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604
 
📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:
Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy
Website: www.protealife.com
 
💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

Self-Silencing in Women: The Hidden Link to Stress, Hormones & Heart Health

Why do so many women struggle with stress-related health issues without ever speaking up?
In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy continues his series on self-silencing in women—a powerful yet often overlooked cultural and psychological pattern.
Dr. McCarthy breaks down:
What “self-silencing” really means and how it shows up in everyday life
The four categories of self-silencing
How chronic stress and emotional suppression affect hormones, fertility, and cardiovascular health
Why women face higher risks of heart disease when these patterns go unaddressed
What men can do to better support their partners during PMS, perimenopause, and menopause
 
This conversation is about more than symptoms—it’s about validation, advocacy, and the urgent need to recognize how cultural conditioning impacts women’s health.
 
Citations: Jack, D. C., & Dill, D. (1992). The Silencing the Self Scale: Schemas of intimacy associated with depression in women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 16(1), 97–106.       •     Jack, D. C. (1999). Silencing the self: Inner dialogues and outer realities. Harvard University Press.       •     Jack, D. C. (2011). Reflections on the silencing the self scale and its origins. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(3), 523–529.       •     Jakubowski, K. P., Barinas-Mitchell, E., et al. (2022). The cardiovascular cost of silence: Self-silencing and carotid atherosclerosis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56(3), 282–293.       •     Ussher, J. M. (2004). Premenstrual syndrome and self-policing. Social Theory & Health, 2(1), 56–77.       •     Ussher, J. M. (2013). Diagnosing difficult women. Feminism & Psychology, 23(1), 63–77.       •     Beauboeuf-Lafontant, T. (2008). Listening past the lies. Qualitative Sociology, 31(2), 105–124.       •     Rozanski, A. (2014). Behavioral cardiology. Circulation, 129(25), 2509–2516. 1.    Jack & Dill (1992) – Developed Silencing the Self Scale. Linked to depression and poor health outcomes.       2.    Framingham Offspring Study (Jack, 2011) – Women with high self-silencing had ↑ heart disease and premature death.       3.    Jakubowski et al. (2022, Annals of Behavioral Medicine) – Self-silencing predicted ↑ carotid atherosclerosis in midlife women.       4.    Beauboeuf-Lafontant (2008, Qualitative Sociology) – Black women’s depression tied to silencing under cultural expectations of strength.       5.    Ussher (2004, 2013, 2023) – Purity/self-policing associated with self-blame and somatic illness pathways.       6.    Rasmussen (2014) – Self-silencing linked to anger suppression, leading to somatic symptoms.       7.    Peterson (2015) – Shame and silence in purity narratives obstruct preventive health care.       8.    CRP & Stress Studies – High CRP consistently linked to psychosocial stress (Rozanski, 2014, Circulation).
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
 
👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.
 
📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604
 
📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:
Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy
Website: www.protealife.com
 
💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

Self-Silencing, Stress & Autoimmunity in Women

In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy explores how self-silencing behaviors—putting others first, suppressing your own needs, and avoiding conflict—can contribute to chronic stress and trigger autoimmune conditions in women. From the science of immune misfires to the cultural pressures women face, Dr. McCarthy shares how deep, patient-centered care goes beyond prescriptions to address the root causes of illness. He discusses the link between trauma, vagal tone, hormone balance, inflammation, and lifestyle habits—and why breaking the self-silencing cycle can be a powerful step toward healing. If you’ve been told “your labs look fine” but you still don’t feel well, this conversation will help you understand why.
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
 
👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.
 
📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604
 
📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:
Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy
Website: www.protealife.com
 
💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

The Hidden Cost of Self-Silencing: How It Impacts Women’s Health

Welcome to the first episode in a five-part series on self-silencing and its profound effect on women’s health. I’m Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer at Protea Medical Center, and in this episode, I break down how self-silencing — the learned suppression of one’s needs, emotions, and voice — directly influences weight gain, hormone disruption, autoimmunity, cardiovascular risk, and more. This is a deeply personal and evidence-backed conversation rooted in decades of clinical experience and medical research. I discuss real patient patterns, the emotional layers behind common health complaints, and why this silent epidemic deserves more space in medicine. If you or someone you love has ever struggled with feeling unheard, unseen, or overwhelmed by caretaking roles, this is for you.
 
Citations: 13] Jakubowski, K. P., Barinas-Mitchell, E., Chang, Y.-F., Maki, P. M., Matthews, K. A., & Thurston, R. C. (2021). The Cardiovascular Cost of Silence: Relationships Between Self-silencing and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Midlife Women. *Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56*(3), 282–290. DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaab046 [27] Eyal, M. (2023, October 3). Self-Silencing Is Making Women Sick. *TIME*. [5] Jack, D. C. (2010, March 29). Silencing the Self Theory. *OUPblog*.
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
 
👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.
 
📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604
 
📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:
Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy
Website: www.protealife.com
 
💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

Men & Fertility: What No One Tells You About Showing Up for Her

In today’s episode, we’re talking about the role men play in fertility and women’s health. Too often, the fertility journey places the burden entirely on women, physically, emotionally, and medically. Dr. McCarthy unpacks why that’s both inaccurate and damaging, and shares what true masculinity looks like during this chapter: support, presence, and courage. From hormone imbalances and sperm health to the overlooked emotional toll men face, this episode is a candid call for men to stay in the room—with their partners and with themselves.
🔍 Topics covered: Why the fertility industry fails couples
The emotional withdrawal reflex many men experience
Microplastics, testosterone, and sperm quality
What lab work men should request
The truth about aging and male fertility
Real steps to support your partner and reclaim your role
Whether you're navigating fertility, supporting someone who is, or simply want to be a better partner, this episode offers insight and grounded advice.
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center in Arizona. With over two decades of experience, he’s helped thousands of patients navigate hormonal imbalances using bioidentical HRT, nutrition, and root-cause medicine. He’s also taught and mentored other physicians on integrative approaches to hormone therapy, weight loss, fertility, and more. If you’re ready to take your health seriously, this podcast is a great place to start.
 
👇 Tap Subscribe to learn more about what’s actually happening in your body, and what to do about it.
 
📘 Read Dr. McCarthy’s Book: Jump Off the Mood Swing – A Sane Woman’s Guide to Her Crazy Hormones https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-Swing-Hormones/dp/0999649604
 
📲 Follow Dr. McCarthy:
Instagram: @drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: @drbrendanmccarthy
Website: www.protealife.com
 
💬 Got a question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments!

Male Fertility & Emotional Avoidance: Why Men Need to Show Up

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
 
In this episode, Dr. McCarthy opens up about the psychological hurdles men face when it comes to reproductive health, how avoidance can create deep relationship wounds, and why it's critical for male partners to step into fertility conversations with courage and compassion.
He breaks down:
✔️ The emotional weight women carry in fertility journeys
✔️ How low testosterone and sperm count influence male behavior
✔️ Why fertility has been unfairly framed as a “women’s issue”
✔️ The connection between masculinity and fertility shame
✔️ What men can do TODAY to show up differently
 
Whether you're a woman looking for tools to help your partner understand the burden you carry, or a man ready to take ownership of your role in this shared journey, this episode offers insight, validation, and hope.
 
💻 Learn more at https://protealife.com
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
 
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
 
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
 
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Understanding PMS: A Guide for Men on Hormones, Relationships & Self-Silencing

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!
 
PMS isn’t just a hormone issue—it affects relationships too.
In this episode, Dr. McCarthy breaks down how hormone shifts impact emotions, communication, and connection. It’s a message for men who want to understand what’s really going on—and how to show up better.
💡 Topics:
Why PMS can trigger relationship tension
The science behind progesterone and mood
How self-silencing builds resentment
What actually helps (and what doesn’t)
 
If this episode helps, share it with someone who needs to hear it.
 
💻 Learn more at https://protealife.com
 
Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.
 
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!
 
Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...
 
-More Links-
Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy
Clinic Website: www.protealife.com