Up to 77% women are unaware their symptoms were due to the menopause and can often be misdiagnosed( often with anxiety or depression).It can be common to feel frustrated, tearful and ask, ‘Where has my zest for life gone?’ ‘I feel a shadow of my formal self’ or ‘Why do I feel so low?’
Menopause for many women comes at time of their lives when there can be many life changes, children my be growing up and leaving home, they may have elderly parents and due to the symptoms they face may struggling at home, have problems in work or in social situations.
A survey by the British Menopause Society (2017) found:
three quarters of women said the menopause caused them to change their life
over half said it had a negative impact on their life
46% had hot flushes, 37% night sweats, 37% low levels of energy
26% felt less outgoing socially, 23% felt more isolated, 32% said they no longer felt like good company
a third of women hadn’t tried anything to reduce symptoms
Due to the symptoms they face may even be having problems at work, worryingly many women feel they can no longer to even continue to work .A recent UK menopause at work survey 2019 ( Lewis R, Newson L, 2019) found:
94% said their symptoms had a negative impact on their work
9% had a disciplinary process as a result of their poor performance
51% had time off due to their symptoms (19% off for more than 8 weeks)
51% had reduced their working hours
Cause on sick certificates 52%=anxiety , 7%= menopause
It doesn’t have to be this way I can help. You may be experiencing menopause if you have some of the following symptoms:
Hot flushes
Anxiety
Mood swings
Fatigue
Vaginal dryness
Loss of libido
Depression/low mood
Weight gain
Difficulty sleeping
Low self esteem
How can I help?
My treatment methods incorporate CBT, hypnotherapy, relaxation, mindfulnessself-hypnosis to enable you to overcome the challenges of the menopause. Everyone’s menopause is different we can tailor an approach which is right for you. We can particularly work withanxiety, insomnia, hot flushes and self esteem.The North American Menopause Society (2015) found bothCBTand hypnotherapy to be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. Using hypnotherapy you can learn how to reduce the number and impact of hot flushes, find ways to sleep better, gain motivation for improving your exercise or reducing weight and reduce stress and anxiety. Hypnosis has been shown, in properly conducted clinical trials, to be as effective at treating hot flushes as conventional hormone treatment (HRT) and has a wealth of evidence for its effectiveness in reducing anxiety and treating insomnia.
A more recent nine year study published in January 2021 compared stress levels with the number of hot flushes and sweats, suggesting a women’s reaction to psychological stress has the most effect on hot flushes. We can practise stress managementtechniques to help you cope.
Don’t let the menopause take away your life… it is far too precious
I offer a free 20 minute consultation, if you have any questions or are still unsure how I can help please feel free to contact me via phone or email.
