As women, we know we are going to go through menopause at some time but we don’t really want to think about it, right? We’ll deal with it when it happens. Why would you want to start thinking about it before it happens?
From my conversation with women in their 40s I know that many women have very limited understanding of menopause. It’s not their fault, there is still a bit of a taboo about talking about ‘women’s things’. And there’s this sense that menopause is about ageing and an end of something. It’s just not sexy.
I started wondering what menopause was all about and what mine would be like when I was in my 40s. My mother had a hysterectomy in her late 30s so she couldn’t advise me. I had no close female relatives to learn from and friends weren’t interested in talking about. It was time to do my own research.
My first sortie into the world of menopause was a weekend event run by a woman’s magazine called ‘The Time of Your Life’. I came away from that with some basic information about the female hormones and hormone replacement therapy and a desire to know more. Since then there have been many books, internet research and courses.
When I became a therapist it all came together for me in a way that meant I could manage my own experience and support my friends and clients.
In my view, knowledge is power. When you understand what is happening to your hormones and how that affects your body, your mind and your emotions it has lots of positive benefits.
- You can prepare for the years around your menopause so that you enter this stage of life in the best possible physical health.
- You can recognise the symptoms and not be worried about them.
- You can take action to make adjustments to your nutrition and lifestyle to support your body.
- You understand when to seek help
- You can have an informed conversation with your Doctor or other medical professionals to discuss the options for treatment.
- You can advocate for what you need
- You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily
- You can get on with enjoying your life
- Your loved ones can get on with enjoying their lives
It’s never too early to start planning for a healthy menopause and it’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle.