So, what steps can you take to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of menopause?

1. Break the silence – you don’t have to go through it alone. Speaking up about your symptoms with family or friends can help you seek the support you need without delay. Whether this is by confiding in your partner or bonding with a friend, it can help you feel less isolated and boost your mood⁷.

2. More so, your close family can prove to be a vital support system in many ways – socially and emotionally, including by understanding how your symptoms affect your daily life. They can also help by bridging communication gaps, and even by helping more at home. This could be taking up more chores or supporting your lifestyle changes like joining in your daily exercise routine⁷.

   Breaking the silence at home can also give you the confidence needed to approach your doctor about any discomfort experienced. In addition, there is a whole range of treatments available to address symptoms associated with menopause, so it’s always beneficial to consult your doctor.

3. Protect your mental health – Menopause can have a profound impact on your daily life by inducing mood changes, lack of motivation, stress, and mental health problems⁵.

4. "Prior to menopause, hormonal changes for women typically begin in their 40s and last around four years or even up to a decade. This period can overlap with significant mental health effects. During this transition, the incidence of depression doubles, and women are more likely to experience panic attacks. In case of severe effects on one’s daily life, seeking professional help to manage this is advised," said Dr. Meeta Singh, MD- Obstetrics & Gynecology, Patron IMS, Consultant OBGY, Hyderabad.

   Common treatment approaches related to mental health include counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, which can help you manage the anxiety associated with menopause⁸. This addresses your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, which can also link back to the intensity of your physical symptoms⁸. To manage stress levels, you can also try relaxation techniques including mindfulness meditation.

5. Start the conversation at work – During menopause, 45% of women struggle at work due to reduced productivity⁴. If you’re feeling isolated, disengaged or lacking motivation, talking to your colleagues and peers can be the first step to feeling more at ease while you work.

6. Try starting the conversation about how your symptoms are coming in the way of your daily work – you may end up hearing from people with similar experiences and how they managed it. At the same time, adopt steps you think could help, including taking breaks when you can or having a desk fan to alleviate hot flashes.

   Building a support system at your workplace may help you manage the symptoms better and take charge of your health as well as your career.

7. Find community support – Support systems – be it friends, family or other women in your community or social circles– offer a powerful and empowering way to connect and engage with people undergoing similar experiences⁷.

8. “The menopausal transition can be an extremely challenging time for women. At Abbott, we are committed to transforming lives for the better through our healthcare solutions and by spearheading patient-focused initiatives for holistic care. With independently run menopause centers of care, patient awareness programs and doctor-patient engagement platforms, we intend to drive meaningful conversations so women can be empowered to fully embrace this stage of their life and live it fully,”said Dr. Jejoe Karankumar, Director, Medical Affairs at Abbott.

Such measures – talking to your family and doctor, building support systems in the community and at work, and seeking ways to manage stress – can help you in coping with the rollercoaster emotions and physician changes of menopause, which is a natural process women go through. These steps can help you tide over this wave of change as you embrace the next chapter of your life.

References

¹Hill K. The demography of menopause. Maturitas. 1996 Mar;23(2):113-27. doi: 10.1016/0378-     5122(95)00968-x. PMID: 8735350.

²Singh, V., Sivakami, M. (2020). Normality, Freedom, and Distress: Listening to the Menopausal   Experiences of Indian Women of Haryana. In: Bobel, C., Winkler, I.T., Fahs, B., Hasson, K.A., Kissling,   E.A., Roberts, TA. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies. Palgrave     Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_70

³Ahuja M. Age of menopause and determinants of menopause age: A PAN India survey by IMS. J   Midlife Health. 2016;7(3):126–131. doi:10.4103/0976-7800.191012

⁴British Menopause Society Fact Sheet

⁵Monteleone P, Mascagni G, Giannini A, Genazzani AR, Simoncini T. Symptoms of menopause—   global prevalence, physiology and implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 2018 14(4):199 -215.

⁶https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-   over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/menopause-and-your-mental-wellbeing

⁷Namazi M, Sadeghi R, Behboodi Moghadam Z. Social Determinants of Health in Menopause: An   Integrative Review. Int J Womens Health. 2019;11:637-647. Published 2019 Dec 9.   doi:10.2147/IJWH.S228594

⁸Hunter M, Smith M. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for menopausal symptoms. Information   for women. POST REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. 2017 Jan 1;23(2):77-82.

Disclaimer:
This listicle is meant for general awareness only and is not meant to be a promotion of the product in any manner whatsoever. This listicle should not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice. Abbott shall not be held liable in any manner whatsoever for any action based on the information provided in this listicle and does not hold itself liable for any consequences, legal or otherwise, arising out of information in this listicle. Please consult your doctor for more information.