Perimenopause Rite of Passage

People are finally talking about menopause. Maybe because Gen X is going through it.  The baby boomer generation specifically did NOT talk about it; previous generations were just told, "You are getting old."

Perimenopause is 7-10 years of irregular cycles and fluctuating hormones prior to menopause.  Clinically, menopause is defined as the 366^th  day after your last bleed, i.e. 12 months of no bleeding.  Menopause can be induced from certain drugs or surgeries. 

Perimenopause is a time of significant biological change. Symptoms include brain fog, anxiety, depression, anger, hot flashes, libido changes and painful dryness.  

 Estrogen helps regulate serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and GABA.  When estrogen drops, that impacts: mood, motivation, focus, alertness and sleep.  There's a reason why "I don't feel like myself."

It’s important to understand it’s a process, and it won’t last forever.  When the hormones stabilize again, many symptoms improve. The body needs time to adjust.  

Holistic supports:

• novelty

• time alone

• nutrition

• sunlight

• movement

• stretching

• acupuncture

• HRT

• supplements

Perimenopause is a rite of passage that needs support.  It coincides with midlife, including high caregiving burden, aging parents, empty nest, changing roles and ageism at work.

 Estrogen is a hormone that prioritizes the relationship of other.  As it declines, it brings an opportunity to re-prioritize the self.  Through the turbulence, this can be a time of profound renewal, freedom, growth and fun.

We are not fixed identities.

We are always becoming.

Perimenopause is a bridge,

a season of pruning and wild new growth.

What within YOU needs tending?