Menopause Messages

 

Menopause isn’t a long list of symptoms. It’s a powerful and wise transformation from one part of our life to another.

We don’t tend to hear that message do we? We’ve been told it’s a stage to be ignored and avoided, much like ageing.  We are told that when we show signs of ageing like wrinkles, body shape changes and are no longer bearing children we are worthless to society – F that!

We have a choice.

Resist it or embrace it.

Women going through the menopause tended treated like a big bag of symptoms. It feels like it is being medicalised and with that it needs to be treated like an illness, disease or condition.

The current medical philosophy is treating the symptoms rather than looking for the root cause.

It’s wonderful that menopause is being discussed more openly and there are many resources and support available.

However, we are still being fed the message that menopause is a long list of horrible symptoms. Just google menopause (which you probably have) and you’ll see doom and gloom.

We are being bombarded with the message that menopause is a horrific experience and one to be dreaded.

Not only does this mean women going through it feel it is yet another challenge to be endured, it means younger women are wondering what the hell they are going to do.

You are not a list of symptoms

The definition of a symptom is ‘sign of illness or problem’. So using the word symptom is already telling us that there is something wrong with us and we need fixing.

Language is key here. It defines how we view ourselves.

Menopause symptoms are caused by some kind of imbalance in the body.

And no, it’s not always just about hormones. There can be other underlying reasons for symptoms related to other areas of the mind and body.

To find our way to the deeper layers of ourselves takes patience, curiosity and an open mind.

I understand digging deep is for everyone. Many women are happy with putting a ‘sticking plaster’ over the issue and ignoring it. We live in a world where we have choice and make make decisions that are right for us at the time.

 

Take hot flushes for example

When we focus on ‘treating a symptom’ like hot flushes the mainstream focus tends to be either taking HRT, using a supplement or removing things that can trigger the flushes.

There is nothing wrong with these methods of getting relief and it works well for some woman. BUT most women don’t just get one symptom.

What if you are experiencing terrible sleep too? Do you then look for the next supplement or medications to fix that?

I’m not saying using supplements is bad as I use them regularly in my practice with clients.

You may also be experiencing anxiety or depression, what then is the next step?

 

Messages not symptoms

I like to look at symptoms as messages from the body. Just a simple change in language can make you feel more in touch with your body. We tend to want to fix a symptom but we are more likely to want to listen to a message.

This is an approach that could revolutionise how you view menopause and your current body experiences.

Menopause is THE time to listen to you body. It will tell you loud and clear that it needs your attention. You may have been able to avoid listening to or masking those messages in the previous decades but menopause will make you listen. Boy will she make you listen!

Whole woman approach

If you can take a step back and look at yourself as a whole woman rather than focusing on the bits you want to change you will start to see yourself differently.

The fact you were born is a miracle.

In a talk at TEDx San Francisco, Mel Robbins, a hugely funny self-help author, mentioned that scientists estimate the probability of your being born at about one in 400 trillion.

Not only that but your body is unconsciously working 24/7 to keep you alive. Your body is AMAZING even if you feel like your energy just now.

Your body and trillions of cells are continuously communicating and working to keep you alive. You body’s main job is to keep you alive by trying to create homeostasis.

In biology, homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits.

– Wikipedia

When this imbalance goes awry this is when we see ‘not feeling quite right’ which can process to illness and disease.

Root Cause

In my training as a nutritional therapist we were taught to look to the root cause of the issues our clients brought to us. This is the philosophy I take when guiding women through the menopause.

Getting to the root cause can take some detective work and you will probably need a professional to help you.

There are many different tools we can use to get through the layers and start to put the jigsaw pieces together.

Here are some of the tools you can use.

• Diet audit
• Lifestyle audit
• Self Care audit
• Mental Health audit

These are a great place to start as it shows us what is going on right now.

Functional medicine testing is useful for more complex cases and can be empowering for women to see exactly what is going on in their body. An old client of mine burst into tears when she had her test results back. Why? She said “finally i have evidence about why I am feeling so bad and I’m not making it up”.

How to understand your menopause messages

I‘m holding a talk on Tuesday 30th March which will teach you how to begin to understand your menopause messages.

You can register here but before you do please read about how you can make a donation to the below charity as your entry fee. 🩸

 

Charity Event – This talk is raising money for the charity Period Poverty

Together we can make a difference.

Thanks for your support.

To donate to our special page created for the Menopause Messages talk – please click on the link  https://www.charityextra.com/periodpoverty/23153