Menopause Reactions ⋆ Meno Martha

“The attitude with which you embark upon this transition can have a tremendous impact on your experience of it, as well as on your choice of behaviors”.¹

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Can women react differently to menopause?

Yes. The (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) explain:

“Some women perceive menopause and midlife as stressful experiences. You might have a sense the person you once knew yourself to be before menopause has changed. You might not be as sure of what to expect from your body or your emotions. What seemed like a body you could rely on and trust is now breaking out in a sweat at times you can’t control, and you don’t know when to expect more changes”.²

Factors

What factors can influence how women react to menopause?

In Mental Health & Emotions: Reactions To Menopause the JH elaborate on:

“How you react to menopause will depend on many things including:

The type of menopause you have – whether it is expected and on time, early, as a result of surgery, or chemotherapy, or premature (before 40 years of age)
Your age
Your stage of life and whether you have done the things you wanted to, such as have children or all the children you wanted to have
Your mental health – whether you have been depressed or anxious in the past
Whether you have achieved the things you wanted to achieve – do you have an identity and purpose you are happy with?
How you view your body and feel about the changes that are happening to you
Whether you are as healthy as you can be and are taking care of yourself”.³

The JH also note:

“Sometimes it is hard to know if the hormonal changes of menopause affect your life, or if your life influences how you experience menopause”.⁴

Attitude

Is there an association between attitude and menopause symptoms?

According to the author of Make Your Menopause A Positive Experience:

“The attitude with which you embark upon this transition can have a tremendous impact on your experience of it, as well as on your choice of behaviors. Studies bear this out: negative beliefs held prior to menopause can be predictive of a more difficult time. For instance, the more catastrophic your thoughts about hot flashes, the more intense they will be”.⁵

‘Me Time’

Is ‘me time’ important?

In What Is Menopause? Feeling Positive About the Menopause the Australasian Menopause Society explain:

“Women may experience physical and emotional changes during menopause but that doesn’t mean life has taken a turn for the worse! Many women are prompted at this time to ‘take stock’ of their lives and set new goals. The menopause occurs at a time when many women may be juggling roles as mothers of teenagers, as carers of elderly parents, and as members of the workforce. Experts suggest that creating some ‘me time’ is important to maintain life balance. Menopause can be seen as a new beginning: it’s a good time to assess lifestyle, health and to make a commitment to strive for continuing ‘wellness’ in the mature years”.⁶

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with my reaction to menopause?

If you would like help with your reaction to menopause, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.

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