Meeting the Challenges of Menopause

"Feelings of sadness overwhelmed me without reason or warning.  I cried and  I wondered if I was going crazy." -Rondro, 50 years of age.

"You wake up in the morning and find your house in a mess. You cannot find personal things.  What you had been doing with ease for years, now seems so difficult, and you don't know why." -Hanta, 55 years of age.

These women were not ill. Rather, they were gong through the menopause transition, a natural change in a woman's life and the end of her fertility. If you are a woman, are you approaching that time of your life? Are you going through it? Whatever the case may be, the more that you and your loved ones know about this transition, the better equipped you will be to meet the challenges with it. 

The Menopause Transition

The menopause transition, also called the perimenopause (around menopause, or change of life), includes both the period leading up to menopause and menopause itself.  In common usage however "menopause" often refers to the entire transition.

Most women start perimenopause in their 40's, but some do as late as their 60's.  In most cases, menopause ceases gradually.  Because of this erratic production of hormones, a woman may skip periods, bleed at odd times, or have extra-heavy periods. A small number of women stop menstruating abruptly, almost overnight, as it were.

"Each woman's menopause experience is different," says Menopause Guidebook. It also states:  "The most common menopause-related discomfort is the hot flash (sometimes called a hot flush)," which may be followed by a cold chill. Those symptoms can disrupt sleep and sap energy. How long do the  discomforts last? 

Note: Well, for some women, it can last a long time.  I am 70 years old and I still get them, but they have lessened compared to the beginning. 

Because of fluctuating hormones, a woman may also experience depression and mood swings, resulting in weepiness, as well as poor concentration and lapses in memory.  That said, "It's highly unlikely that any one woman will get hit with everything."  (note: Well, this one woman did, I guess mother nature has a sense of humor)says the Menopause Book. Indeed, some experience few, if any, problems and discomforts.  

Next time:  Meeting the Challenges of Menopause - How to Cope

From the jw.org publications