7 Massive Myths About The Menopause

The menopause can be such a huge deal for most women. It’s such a significant milestone in our lives as it marks the end of one era and the beginning of a whole new one. But sadly for many of us, it can also be a real struggle to get through. And it’s not just the prospect of hot sweats and unwanted hair-growth that cause the problems. It’s the fear of losing your identity as a woman, losing your sex appeal, disappearing into old age, the possibility of becoming ugly and fat, and the fear of the unknown.

The crazy thing is that whilst we love to talk about so many things in our lives, it’s incredibly rare for us to feel at ease talking openly about the menopause. Even our doctors are usually more concerned with dealing with the physical symptoms than discussing anything else. So many of us fall victim to the myths that surround the menopause and all of its supposed changes.

But here’s the thing: there is often very little truth behind these horrible myths.

The menopause most definitely has nothing to do with getting old or losing any of that special spark that you have right there inside of you. It has everything to do with inner growth, deep reflection, and entering into a whole new phase of your life.

A little knowledge goes a long way, so here are 7 of these myths about the menopause, along with the real truth behind them.

Myth #1: Life is now over. It’s a steady decline from here.

The menopause needn’t be the beginning of the end, despite what you might be thinking right now, Believe you’ll never again feel sexy, confident and strong? You’re wrong.

This is your opportunity to evaluate or re-evaluate what really and honestly matters to you (and no-one else!) Take a moment to consider what makes you feel amazing, think about what you love, and take the time to consider what drains you both physically and mentally and what you’d be better eliminating for good.

Your attitude towards your journey here will make such an immense difference to your experience of it. The mind is indeed an amazing thing. It has the power to either ease you though this transition without too much of a fuss, or if you let it, cause you to find it all a challenging experience and an extremely negative one at that. The power lies in your hands.

Myth #2: It happens at 50.

For most women, the menopause happens at around the age of 50, but this is not necessarily the case with everyone. In fact, I know several women who simply stopped getting their periods in their early 40s and that was that. So you see, changes can happen any time between the ages of 30 and 60. Most symptoms happening during the peri-menopausal stage which is the period of transition that can last for many years before your periods actually stop.

But remember, each and every one of us is wonderfully different and these changes will happen at different times for each of us. It isn’t a reflection of your femininity or sexuality if you go through it earlier or later.

Myth #3: Your symptoms are purely physical.

Do you feel that you are always ‘out of sorts’ these days, and no matter what you try, you just can’t seem to get back on track? You’re far from being alone in this, the emotional and psychological symptoms often prove to be more challenging and far-reaching than the physical for a huge number of women.

For example, you could begin to feel anxious or even depressed about the changes that are happening in your life. You might feel like your brain is full of cotton wool and you just can’t think straight. You might feel as if you’ve received a double dose of PMT with all of the irritability, mood swings, fuzzy thinking and forgetfulness but without the relief at the end. Perhaps you’re just not feeling yourself but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Thankfully you will be able to get a grip on this, given the right tools.

Of course, physical symptoms do also occur, such as fatigue, hair loss, cravings, heavy periods, irregular periods, disturbed sleep and weight gain and they bring their own challenges with them. These things can also be managed with the correct diet, level of activity and positive mind tools.

Myth #4: You are alone on this journey.

You are not alone in this.

Women throughout history and all over the world continue to experience the menopause and have come out the other side smiling, so there is a wealth of experience and understanding to be shared if you only ask. In fact, in some countries women are held in higher regard at this time and don’t even experience the same symptoms as women in Western countries do. Food for thought there...

Unfortunately, the menopause seems to be the last remaining taboo when it comes to women’s issues; our mothers didn’t talk about it and neither do we. Many of us are too scared to talk about it, too scared of what other people might think of us, too scared to reach out, share our experiences or challenges, and connect with friends who can offer that support that we so desperately need.

There’s no need to go it alone, so please lean on your friends or other people you can trust when you need it the most. If this still feels difficult, or you’d like some extra support, please come and join the inspiring women who are active on my Facebook group  sign up to the webinar (more details coming at the end).

Myth #5: Hello excess fat and goodbye waist. 

Going through the menopause doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll get fat and frumpy; you can keep your youthful figure if you want to and it’s not too hard to do if you know how.

Here’s how it works: in short-during the menopause your ovaries begin to produce less hormones that they used to, and so your hormonal levels can begin to fluctuate, causing many of the symptoms you experience. Your body seeks to protect itself from this perceived threat and does so by storing more fat. As a result, you obviously can’t get away with eating the same kinds of foods that you used to, or neglecting your diet however slightly.

By taking control and changing a few habits when needed, you can beat the bulge and keep your body the same as it always was. This is easy to do by eating a healthier diet which is higher in healthy fats, vegetables (especially the green leafy kind), nuts, seeds, and low-sugar fruits and moving that body of yours as nature intended.

I’m afraid it’s a myth that there’s no need to break a sweat when we do this- we do. The perfect solution is to combine short bursts (10-20 minutes at a time) of weight-bearing exercises that leave you out of breath, with calmer activities such yoga and meditation. Walking in nature and dancing are great feel good activities to.

Myth #6: Adios sex appeal and goodbye sex drive.

Your sex appeal and sex drive shouldn’t change during the menopause. You see, these things are based on much more than purely the way that you look. But you’re an intelligent woman, so I guess that you already know that.

Sex appeal is more about the energy that we release into the world. It’s about how we express our sense of self-worth and self-confidence, it’s about our kindness and compassion, it’s about the way we get all giddy when we feel excited about something new, it’s about all of the things that make us unique and shine so brightly in our world. Take some time to think about the things that people love about you? What are they? These things are what is truly sexy, not the shape nor size of our bodies.

And as we mentioned above in the last myth, the menopause isn’t a one-way ticket to physical decline and aging either. We only have to take a look at celebrities like Halle Berry, Jennifer Anniston, Naomi Campbell, Angelina Jolie or Julia Roberts to see for ourselves. These inspiring women are all in their 40s and so are probably entering the peri-menopause or menopause right now. Are you trying to tell me that these women aren’t sexy exactly as they are?

The challenge for you when it comes to sex appeal and libido lies right there inside your head, in your self-image and self-confidence. With the right attitude you will triumph.

Myth #7:  HRT is your only option

There is so much support out there that can help you to transition through the menopause both physically and mentally, so there’s no need to think that HRT will be your only option. In fact, HRT often has horrible side effects, could increase your risks of certain cancers and is surely an artificial way of avoiding the menopause.

You do have a choice. It’s your body and it’s up to you to choose what is right for you.

You simply need to make small changes to your lifestyle and diet, increase the right exercise that you are getting, learn stress-relief and relaxation techniques, practice positive visualization, and use herbal remedies if you’d like to. There’s nothing extreme about any of these things, and they will all help you to find equilibrium and enable you feel in control of your life again.

The menopause can be a confusing, difficult and challenging time for many women, but it doesn’t need to be for you. Let me hold your hand, share my knowledge and experience and help you through it.

Would you like to find out more? I will be holding a FREE webinar 1st June 2016 7.30pm and I’d love to really make a difference to your life. Come along and I can show you how. Click the link below and enter your details for your FREE place. I’m looking forward to meeting you.

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