There are no ‘Symptoms’ of Menopause!

Apparently there’s a list of 34 recognised ‘symptoms’ of Menopause, ranging from hot flashes & body odor to depression & panic attacks. Whilst I’m encouraged that this list seems to have progressed from ‘A bit Moody, periods have stopped & Hot sweats’, it offends me for two reasons:-

1. There are at least 6 things I personally experienced that aren’t on that list & having worked with enough women going through Menopause, I know that I’m not unique in that regard!
2. Why must these expressions of what is a natural, transitionary state from one part of our lives to another be referred to as ‘Symptoms’?

There are actually as many Expressions of Menopause as there are Women on the planet because we are all unique & have experienced our Lives differently. Therefore the way we express any changes or processing of internal or external events is individual. To explore this further it may be helpful to remember the following:-

• Menopause is not an illness & therefore does not have ‘Symptoms’ & doesn’t need to be taken away or ‘fixed’. Part of this metabolic change can feel uncomfortable, unfamiliar, confusing or painful depending on our existing Health & Endocrine health history. These expressions are best  supported as naturally as possible & almost always include some changes in lifestyle, diet, relaxation, breath work, exercise & self-care. As our internal metabolism changes so does the nutritional requirements needed to support the new Us.
• Menopause is a natural process or journey of changes within the internal workings of our bodies & every woman must go through this in some form & at some stage of their lives. We can’t avoid it or hide from it.
• Menopause is not the end of a Womans life, it is indeed the end of our potential ability to pro-create & the beginning of our lives without this particular ability. That ‘rest of our lives’ can be 20 or 30 years, so why shouldn’t we take our time getting this new system as optimised as possible? Anyone who has been through a major House build or upgrade will understand that there’s no sense rushing through it & hiding any  shoddy workmanship – it just comes back to bite you later on!!
• Most of the time Menopause is a time of Spiritual Awakening, stepping into ourselves fully often for the first time as we shed our identities & their enmeshment in being Daughters, Mothers, Wives, Partners, Employees or Employers…..asking ourselves ‘Who am I’, ‘What do I want’, ‘How do I want to live this new Life’?
• Menopause is a series of changes over time, it is not an event! This doesn’t mean that you will experience the same things for years. It means that you will experience a series of things over time & therefore there may be many different resources that can encourage & support you as you move through these changes. There is seldom one ‘Magic pill’ that sorts out everything for you – tempting as that may appear to be!
• Menopause can be viewed as an invitation to let go of what no longer serves us or nurtures us & to embrace or to start or do more of what will. We can therefore expect to feel emotionally & spiritually shaken up, out of our comfort zones & feeling into what may be right for our new selves. It’s corny but apt – caterpiller to crysalis to butterfly – a period of shutting down, protecting ourselves & turning inwards to re-build. We can feel free to lead our lives in any way we want & it may take some quiet, introspective time to work out what that looks like before we immerge ready to fly ……..
• Menopause does not mean you have to put up with prolonged pain or emotional distress. I am one Holistic Health Practitioner & I have lots of possible ‘Tools’ at my disposal to offer support or relief of anything debilitating or stuck. Homeopathic remedies are just superb at this & can be used a variety of different ways depending on what needs help. My Coaching Skills & QTT methods have really come to the fore with women needing to release old patterns of behavior & get clarity about what they would like instead. Sometimes simply having dedicated, safe, confidential space to explore what’s going on without judgement is powerful in it’s own right… Even simple daily practices like Meditation, breast massage, Qi-gong or other gentle exercises can also make a massive difference. Our Food Choices play a huge role in any journey towards Health & many of us need to make significant changes in what we eat, when we eat & how we eat at this time. I could go on but I hope you just take from this that there are many, many accessible tools available to us to make this journey as smooth & creative as possible.
• Ancient Chinese philosophy describes Menopause as ‘The second Spring’ – Women coming through this period of transition in their lives were seen as having a new beginning & actually valued for their experience, their wisdom & their zest for life! Even sexual energy was regarded as deepening as it becomes freed up to contribute to general health rather than conception, gestation & childbirth. Very far from the prevailing Western view of it signalling the end of a womans life!
• It may feel like you are on an island, alone, but you’re not! Connecting with other women who are also on this journey or have been through it & emerged the other side can be so rewarding, so supportive, empowering & encouraging. I spent most of my younger years avoiding collaborating & sharing with other women – a mistake I was able to rectify in more recent years. I’m so grateful for that & all the wisdom, practical tips & safety I have found in connecting with circles of like minded women. Reaching out online to other women who resonate with our own journeys or are inspiring, motivating, expanding can feel supportive & often offer some kind of connection. Even better is to do that in the flesh, as it were, have a look at local networking groups, Yoga or Qi-gong classes or any other opportunities to explore a hobby/interest & therefore connect with like minded souls. Can’t find anything, then why not start your own? It could simply be a coffee morning, a swimming or walking group or anything that takes your fancy. Just as raising young children is meant to be done in a group of collaborative women, so is this pivotal time in our lives. If you need a chat regarding how I can support you with Homeopathy and/or QTT methods during this time, please do book a Free ‘Clarity Call’ with me by visiting the Bookings page on this site.

References/Studies:-

I highly recommend visiting The Red School Website, the creators are advocates for Menstrual Cycle Awareness & have a wonderful selection of illuminating Podcasts, courses & books on Menopause & Menstruation – how to reconnect ourselves with our natural rhythms & honour them so that we have no need to feel pain & fatigue around our own selves. I find their book ‘Wise Power’ addressing Menopause, particularly helpful.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22537466/  – Ping Shuai Qigong improved climacteric symptoms and sleep quality in perimenopausal women at 6 weeks and 12 weeks. The longer a person practiced this form of meditative exercise, the greater the improvement in sleeping quality and climacteric symptoms.