This is question you will ask yourself? And it will come in many forms and will invade you on different levels. Please note that these pondering thoughts will appear when you are least expecting them.
Here you can clink on to the various links we recommend along with discussions on how we have all progressed around that corner.
The links are what we recommend at the moment, as we are a new blog, more will be added as we go along. Also please advise if there are any you have used and would recommend to the Alphrodite Community.
https://www.tena.co.uk › women
Tena Lady offers knowledge, tips and advice – here a few of them:
- Menopause and incontinence
- Menopause and mental health
- Symptoms of menopause from the urinary tract
Menopausematters.co.uk is an award winning, independent website providing up-to-date, accurate information about the menopause, menopausal symptoms and treatment options.
Founded by Dr Heather Currie MBE.
Here you will find information on what happens leading up to, during and after the menopause, what the consequences can be, what you can do to help and what treatments are available. They have a regular podcast, information and a magazine called menopause Matters.
As we go through the menopause your body will change and so will your thoughts. They could be about yourself, they could be about your partner they could be about your family and friends. This is quite normal, but rarely discussed so openly.
In this area we will share the stories from other Alphrodites from around the globe. Hopefully your fill find strength and realise you are not alone and that others have been though what’s happening to you and how they found there way around that corner.
Vanessa – Highlands of Scotland – Age
“Having watched my Mum exist through a Tusnami of heat for around 7 years it was with trepidation that I waited for it to arrive – there is an all too familiar tradition of whatever ailment Mum had, she gifted to me. It never happened and I cannot be more grateful that the signature menopause symptom slid right past me. My husband is probably in agreement as he didn’t have to endure the side effects either. In broad terms my menopause / midlife journey has been more mental than overtly physical
In my professional life I was a coach – performance, well being, career – within my organisation and as such attended supervision to help me work through / understand my issues so I didn’t transfer them on to my coachees. They have enough on their own plates without absorbing my issues. Supervision gives you a non judgemental space to work though all sorts of issues in safety. It doesn’t give you solutions, it works from the understanding that you know what you need to do you just need to be prompted to allow yourself to explore it. I found that sometimes the people who love us are not always the best people to talk to.
I wanted some nice hand cream. I had been walking past it for months, even tried a sample or 2. It wasn’t stupid money, may be £20. I had a well paid job, no children and really, plenty of disposable cash but I didn’t buy it and then got irritated with myself that I still wouldn’t get it, even though logic told me I could. For some reason this came up in supervision and all she asked was “What is stopping you?” she kept asking me this question until I had run out of the I cannot afford it excuses. So what was stopping me?
I didn’t believe that I was worth it, that spending something on me was a waste because I didn’t believe that investment in me made sense. I had lost my belief in my own self worth, having something lovely was ridiculous and there was some strange sense of gratification in denying myself that. My confidence was low, I viewed myself as really nothing, so any form of reward was stupid. I didn’t like myself and I felt like I didn’t fit. So I started crying…..because this wasn’t who I was and who I had been. I have never been physically attractive but I am bright, funny, good at my job and a loyal and loving wife and friend. And then I started laughing……as I replayed conversations I had with my coach and myself as I worked through some of my issues. Turns our I was not alone in feeling like this, turns out the boat I was in wasn’t empty it was full of wonderful women who felt the same and it was OK. Then I started changing….what triggers me, what conversations do I need to have with myself and others to help me?
Non of us are the full package, in no way am I perfect but that’s ok. I no longer mourn who I was but try to celebrate who I am now, where I am going and refuse to totally grow up
I bought the hand cream and it was, in itself, fine. It sat on my desk for a number of years largely unused as a reminder that its really ok to invest in yourself and exercise some self love.”