‘Surviving’ the Menopause

There are so many guides to surviving the menopause, or fighting the symptoms of the menopause, all of which are filled with useful tips and information. However, I’d far rather create a greater sense of empowerment than the word ‘surviving’ might suggest; and quite frankly, I simply don’t have the energy or capacity to ‘fight’ anything, let alone something I have little chance of defeating!

Some may feel I’m being deliberately contrary, or that the semantics are irrelevant, and that’s perfectly fine, but for the purposes of this blog it may be worth reading on to consider the power of language on our subconscious.
I’ve been fascinated by the mind for decades, in particular, how what we hear, read, and say to ourselves has a profound impact on our sense of self-worth and value.

In hindsight, (always the perfect science), I do wish I’d made myself a little more informed regarding the impact of menopause. There was a plethora of articles available during my 30’s and 40’s, but I simply ignored them or decided they had no relevance to me. Worse still, I may have scoffed at several; the impact just seemed way too intense for anyone wary of apparent melodramatics.

Which comes back to the language used.

Perhaps if the language had been less about surviving something (which smacks of victim) or fighting (which has rarely led to anything fulfilling), then I suspect there may have been greater resonance?
I’ll never know; but what I’m certain of is the power of language needs to be considered.

Like periods and childbirth, menopause is something females are unable to delegate to the male fraternity. It is exclusively the domain of the woman. We each must find a way to accept and handle the symptoms in a way that is appropriate to ourselves. It’s not particularly pleasant, but as sure as night follows day, we’re going to someday face the natural changes menopause brings.

There are many strategies for helping alleviate the effects, and these vary for each individual, however, the one thing you can be certain of is that someone will have experienced the same thing and can recommend something that worked for them.

If I learnt nothing else it was that the sooner you stop resisting, and start embracing the changes, the symptoms, and the effects of this change, then the happier and saner you’ll begin to feel.

I’ve also discovered the joy and liberation of celebrating the changes of menopause can bring. Think about it……
No more periods. No more cramps. No more monthly expense of sanitary products. No more concern about unplanned pregnancies. No more monthly hormonal breakouts. No more mood swings …..once the craziness of menopause has passed of course.

We can look forward to increased confidence. A sureness of who we are. Certainty about what we bring and what we can give. Clarity around what we’re prepared to tolerate and what we expect. No longer giving much of damn about what other think.

All sounds like a pretty good trade-off to me …….