The climacteric, a term that is medically used to describe the spectrum of “perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause”.[i] One medical article on the climacteric argues strongly for increased use of this terminology:
“… we should leave the term ‘menopause’ only for naming the event of cessation of menstruation that will happen later as the consequence of the decline in ovarian activity… that it does not seem proper to wait for the cessation of menstrual bleeding before some intervention is started”[ii]
[i] Nimit Taechakraichana et al., “Climacteric: Concept, Consequence and Care,” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet Thangphaet 85 Suppl 1 (June 2002): S1-15.
[ii] J. E. Blümel et al., “Menopause or Climacteric, Just a Semantic Discussion or Has It Clinical Implications?,” Climacteric: The Journal of the International Menopause Society 17, no. 3 (June 2014): 235–41, https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2013.838948.
Wisdom in the Climacteric
Useful resources if you have perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal symptoms. There is no one answer, and lots of different opinions here but hopefully something will resonate and help! This is not a wholehearted endorsement of all views in these videos or articles, but this is what is out there just now. Youtube is an amazing resource, go down the rabbit hole and hear the stories that are out there.
Autism, Non-Binary and the Menopause Blog Post: https://awnnetwork.org/menopause-just-felt-less-socially-awkward/
Queer Menopause: https://www.queermenopause.com/resources
Menopause in the non-binary community: https://menopauseintheworkplace.co.uk/articles/how-do-hormonal-changes-affect-the-trans-and-non-binary-community/
Some stories on mental health and menopause: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/blog/how-can-menopause-affect-your-mental-health/
Symptom Sheets:
Listen to your body, speak to a GP and speak to others that have gone through this. If you are someone that wants children you will have more trouble if you ignore early signs, but we can all get lost and misdiagnosed which can have other repercussions. However, remember GPs are given little training in menopause.
In particular, if you are entering the climacteric early (before 45) check with your GP’s surgery to find out who has the expertise in this area to ensure you are speaking to someone who will listen. Many people under 45 will find they are not believed when they first present with symptoms, completing some of the symptom sheets I link to below and sending them to your Dr can be helpful to help them understand what you are experiencing.
I have found Maca tablets wonderful for a variety of symptoms – here’s a link to a medical study, please do google more widely though, it is thought to be well tolerated but everyone’s body chemistry is different, I started on a low dose (1000mg and moved up to 4000mg) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25954318/
People also recommend magnesium, keeping healthy is important, vitamin D and calcium really important for our bones at this time. There are a variety of menopause vitamin supplements out there to try.
This is one of a number of webinars on POI (premature ovarian insufficiency) or early menopause by the Daisy Network, Michelle Robinson on the subject of “Learning to love yourself again in POI – Dealing with the Mental Emotion side of POI”.
I was recommended Hilary’s website (the youtube video below) by a friend who has Endometriosis and got a huge amount of help from her so if that’s something you struggle with you might want to check out her website for that too!
This video below has some really powerful stories about how menopause can impact your mental health, however, I fundamentally disagree with the idea that HRT should be a way to boost the economy by extracting more surplus labour from women. Maybe there is some kind of HRT that is right for you, and please explore that with a medical professional, but it is not about raising the GDP.
Also, I have been informed by my doctor that there is no form of HRT that does not come with some form of risk, people react differently to different treatments, and there have been HRT shortages due to Brexit that have made some of the more modern safer forms inaccessible. Obviously having to switch around and coming on and off hormone treatment is rough so just be aware, for some people it is a magic bullet for others it is not. Be aware of your options, trust yourself, ask questions, get second opinions. The climacteric is not a ‘disease’ to be cured, it is a journey we all need to find our own path through.
Dealing with Perimenopause Symptoms Naturally https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK796fG4ndI
Perimenopause Guide – https://www.floliving.com/symptom-free-perimenopause-guide/
When you’re not OK – https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/when-youre-not-ok
Menopause Cafe Website: https://www.menopausecafe.net/
Menopause Dr Website https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/
Vitamin D Factsheet – low vitamin D is common in lockdown and winter, this is a particularly important vitamin in the climacteric! https://d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/532/Vitamin%20D.pdf
Anti-depressants and the Menopause [with sign language] – https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/anti-depressants-and-the-menopause
The British Menopause Society: https://thebms.org.uk/
Menohealth website: https://www.menohealth.co.uk/
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/
Menopause in the Workplace Toolkit: https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Menopause%20toolkit%20Eng%20FINAL.pdf
Articles and Websites
“Menopause,” nhs.uk, October 23, 2017, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/
“10 Reasons for Perimenopausal Mood Swings,” Psychology Today, accessed January 20, 2021, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/women-autism-spectrum-disorder/202005/10-reasons-perimenopausal-mood-swings
Anita Riecher-Rössler, “Menopause and Mental Health,” in Mental Health and Illness of Women, ed. Prabha S. Chandra et al., Mental Health and Illness Worldwide (Singapore: Springer, 2020), 147–73, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2369-9_9
Anita Riecher-Rössler, “Psychotic Disorders and Menopause: The Untold Story,” The Menopausal Transition 175 (2009): 115–26, https://doi.org/10.1159/000209606
“Men, Let’s Talk About Menopause and Perimenopause,” Psychology Today, accessed January 20, 2021, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/understanding-the-erotic-code/202008/men-let-s-talk-about-menopause-and-perimenopause
Nimit Taechakraichana et al., “Climacteric: Concept, Consequence and Care,” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet Thangphaet 85 Suppl 1 (June 2002): S1-15.
J. E. Blümel et al., “Menopause or Climacteric, Just a Semantic Discussion or Has It Clinical Implications?,” Climacteric: The Journal of the International Menopause Society 17, no. 3 (June 2014): 235–41, https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2013.838948
N. L. Stotland, “Menopause: Social Expectations, Women’s Realities,” Archives of Women’s Mental Health 5, no. 1 (August 1, 2002): 5–8, https://doi.org/10.1007/s007370200016