When women pass beyond their age of fertility into menopause, the alterations in body chemistry can produce profound and sometimes uncomfortable changes in their bodies and even their brains. However, it may be wrong to rush to a judgment that she is now ‘sick’ and to seek medical intervention. There are many ways to cope with menopause without resorting to aggressive interventions. In general, the passage of time itself is one of the greatest healers, and along with that some gentle aids can make the transition more comfortable.
Change is a sign of life.
Change happens throughout a person’s lifetime. It may bring with it times when you may long for the “good old days” where you had grown used to your body before the phase of change had set in. That’s why adolescence is a period when previously placid, friendly and affectionate children can turn into angry and aggressive teenagers seeing drinking, drug use and risky sexual activities as ways to dampen down their suddenly unfamiliar selves. The triggers for this phase are surges in hormones. Thankfully, once they have emerged from the tumultuous years and hormones level-off, their bodies will have adjusted to the new environment, and they will emerge as more stable and ‘normal’ adults. A reverse cycle of hormone change takes place when women have passed their peak breeding years. The levels of estrogen start to drop when she passes into menopause. This again disrupts the patterns she grew used to for twenty or thirty years. It can produce a whole range of alterations in how her body and mind are working, and the changes can make her feel that something is wrong, so she is ‘sick.’.Women should expect menopause and not fear it.
In the June 2022 issue of the British Medical Journal, a group of specialists in women’s medicine from Australia, the UK and the USA, led by Dr. Martha Hickey of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria, Australia, published an article that sets out to change the way that doctors and women regard menopause. The title is “Normalising menopause” and it makes a couple of solid arguments, backed by research and statistics, that:- Negative beliefs and expectations of menopause may increase the likelihood of distressing symptoms
- Women who view menopause as an expected and positive life transition are less likely to experience distress
- Reducing gender-based ageism, eliminating stigma and providing balanced information about menopause may instill confidence and better equip women to navigate this normal life stage.
