Are you struggling with the Menopause?
At 47 I went to my GP convinced I had early onset dementia. I had spent several months forgetting words. Not just forgetting why I had walked into a room, or why I had gone upstairs, or where I had left my keys. That’s not the same thing. This was different.
I would stare at an object and literally not be able to remember what it was called. I would ask my children to put the socks in the fridge, when what I meant was the milk! It was happening more and more frequently and I was genuinely scared. It reached a peak when I forgot where I lived and how to get home one day.
Luckily for me my GP at the time was genned up on the peri-menopause and thank goodness he was. He reassured me immediately that what I was experiencing was not dementia but brain fog, a classic symptom of the peri-menopause. I had no idea that the peri-menopause was even a thing, let alone that brain fog was a symptom. of it. I had not experienced one hot sweat, I was not having mood swings and my periods were still as regular as clockwork, so the idea that my forgetfulness was the start of the menopause had never been on my radar.
Like me, many women don’t realise that the peri-menopause is the beginning of the menopause. It literally means “around menopause” and is classed as the time leading up to the menopause, which is when your periods finally stop. Symptoms of the peri-menopause can last for several years and I have since learnt that the same symptoms can also continue for many women long after the actual menopause. Yes I know!!
My journey through the peri-menopause so far has been an interesting one. I have taken the holistic path to help me manage my symptoms as personally I wanted to avoid HRT. But there is definitely a place for HRT for some women and it has to be a personal choice.
I have also immersed myself in learning as much as I can about the peri-menopause and menopause. I have talked to lots of women of all ages about their experiences, and I have helped many women suffering with symptoms through treating them with reflexology.
The one overriding message I want to get out to women is not to be afraid and to definitely seek support. No one has to suffer in silence any more. There are plenty of options available to help women cope with the wide variety of symptoms the peri-menopause can throw at us, both from medical professionals and a holistic/complementary approach.
If you are reading this and have been struggling with symptoms of anxiety, hot sweats, poor sleep, brain fog, mood swings, irritability, aching joints etc caused by the peri-menopause or the menopause, please feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation chat about whether reflexology could help you.
