I think the worst thing about the menopause or any hormonal issue is how vulnerable it makes you feel. I wrote this post on Facebook last week and am sharing it on here too for a wider audience as it is really important we open up more about it.
Although the main article is written from a menopause perspective I think it applies to any kind of hormonal imbalance. I would love to know your thoughts on this. Either privately via email or messenger, or more publicly so other people can learn too. Comment on this blog post, or on the original on Facebook. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10161840895490387&id=759980386
The menopause comes at a time when you think you should be getting it easier but actually it becomes harder.
The kids are more independent but with that comes teenage angst and worry.
As you are getting older so are your parents and with that comes more responsibility and often grief and sadness.
You should be enjoying time with your partner but instead stresses of work and family get in the way and you feel like ships passing in the night.
And then it hits you.
You start to feel strange. Not quite you. You find yourself forgetting things. Or not coping with situations well.
You start putting on weight and you have no idea why, this damages your self esteem even further.
You get irritable because the night sweats are waking you up. You snap at people, they think you are going crazy. Maybe you are.
And no one takes you seriously because it’s not talked about.
Vunerable
Women who have been through it mock you and say things like “don’t be ridiculous, you are far too young”. Or “you think that’s bad, wait till you get …”
Vunerable
You think about speaking to your friends but everyone is so busy dealing with all the stuff I mentioned above that you might be able to get a date in the diary in 6 months time.
Vulnerable
How about your husband? Well they just run a mile. It’s like asking them to talk to their daughter’s about periods. Not a clue. They just say go to the doctor then and get some tablets for it. But the dr. just laughs at you and tells you you are too young.
Vulnerable.
You feel lonely, tired, confused. You don’t know who you are anymore. You feel like you are Alice falling down the rabbit hole clutching at anything that is whizzing past just to try and make sense of it all.
And it’s not consistent either. The peri-menopause can last for 10 years, where symptoms come and go. They change and you think you are imagining it. Were they really night sweats or did you just leave the heating on? Maybe you didn’t tell your husband that important message after all. You have a few weeks of headaches but then they just go away again, maybe it’s just stress.
All these things make you feel very vulnerable indeed.
Or is that just me?
After the response I got on Facebook I know it’s not just me. We really need to talk about this more. It should be the same as chatting about the weather or getting a cold. Mum’s need to talk to their daughters more, be open about what is going on with them at the time so it isn’t such a mystery. And we need to discuss it with our husbands and husbands you need to listen! This is a huge deal.
Don’t forget there are lots of other posts about menopause on this blog, look for them under the main tabs above. I’m working on a new project that could really help you if you are experiencing any of these things at the moment. Make sure you have signed up to my email list so you don’t miss out, if you are not sure how to do that comment below. But there should be a box to the right of this post or below if you are on an phone to sign up.
Hang in there, I understand.
