4. Every woman is likely to experience the perimenopause in a different way. One of the reasons for this is whether we have a positive or negative attitude towards menopause…
It’s easy to have a negative attitude, given that menopause is generally seen as yet another ‘women’s problem’ in modern society, and treated almost as a disease by medical science: something that has to be cured, or the symptoms suppressed and/or ignored. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often seen as the answer.
Modern society places such importance on youthfulness, whereas older or more traditional cultures often revere the wisdom, compassion and contentment that come with the years.
For some women, the menopause is a huge relief. They no longer have to worry about contraception and unwanted pregnancy, and they are free from periods and any associated symptoms they may have experienced. The menopause can feel very liberating for some women, bringing freedom to be themselves, at last.
Many women describe their post-menopausal years as the best time of their lives, when they feel full of energy and a new sense of direction.
It’s often the lack of positive attitude that denies women a potentially rewarding experience. When children have grown up, for example, or financial or career pressure has eased a little, comes the perfect time to explore, to branch out in other directions that may have been closed to us in the past by other commitments.