Menopause - The silent suffering

If you think you’re suffering with menopause alone, you’re not. 

We want you to know that you are not going through this next phase in your life on your own. There’s a whole community of women out there, just like you. And if you don’t fully understand what you’re going through or you feel like no-one around you understands either, that’s ok. It’s normal to feel like that.

It might surprise you, but when menopause strikes most women are unaware of the reasons behind the changes taking place. They might not even recognise their symptoms are linked to the menopause, let alone have a thorough understanding of what they’re going through and an appropriately informed support network from those around them.

BUPA, the health insurance company, found that 900,000 women in the UK quit their jobs due to menopause. A number higher than most would anticipate or even imagine meaning the impacts of menopause can be detrimental enough to make someone quit their job.  So, despite menopause being a naturally occurring stage in every woman’s life, so many are unaware of the true impact it may have and the depths of its impact. 

So what is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural cycle in every woman's life where a period no longer happens for 6-12 months. This change brings about a list of physical and emotional changes classed as symptoms and can have a wide range of impacts. These changes can take place leading up to, during and for years after menopause. 

Other than very rare occasions, most women will go through the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Not everyone will experience the same symptoms or to the same degree. The symptoms list is actually much longer than most people think. Currently it totals 34 symptoms! 

Menopause isn’t really talked about much and with so little education and awareness it’s no surprise that it can make you feel isolated and like you’re going through it on your own. How can you be expected to know when it’s not really taught in schools, not part of sex education classes, or even as a protocol in older life to educate the women it’s directly impacting?! 

The key stages of menopause

Menopause is split into three different stages:

• Perimenopause

• Menopause

• Postmenopause

In other words, before, during and after menopause.

Each stage has different physical impacts ranging from bone and muscle density, to overall heart health. You’ll also find that  some of the changes and symptoms may take place earlier than others, and some may linger for longer than others. If no action is taken, these impacts will worsen during the post stage and progressively get worse as time goes on. 

Now, you may be reading this and thinking “well that got dark suddenly”, but fear not. At WellnessbyGok, we’ve helped countless women regain control and rediscover hormone harmony. We’ve also connected a community of like-minded women just like you, who are overcoming and thriving on their menopause journey together. You can find out more about our Hormone Harmony programme here or speak to a member of our team by emailing hello@wellnessbygok.co.uk.