Many women will tell you that they reach their mid 40s and “things don’t feel right”. Most of my patients will come to me and report feeling irritable, having low energy, noticing foggy thoughts, and having disrupted sleep. These symptoms can be described as “coming and going”. My patient will say “I feel fine some days and terrible on others”. Many worry that they have bipolar disorder since it’s so sporadic. They are still getting a menstrual cycle or they are on some form of hormonal birth control that prevents a cycle so they are not thinking about any reproductive causes for their overlapping psychiatric symptoms.
Perimenopause can happen as early as age 35 and as late as 55. It is typically described as “the change before the change”. The symptoms differ for everyone. Some women may have low energy but “sleep is fine”. Others may have raging moods but “no night sweats”. The number one thing, they all have in common is “feeling like something isn’t working”.
Many of us have the flawed thought that menopause is “way down the road when the kids graduate and retirement is right around the corner”. This is why it can feel like being “hit by a truck” when it happens in your 40s. The science behind it is quite simple- “your hormones are changing” but dealing with it is a whole different story.
If you are having symptoms of perimenopause or curious about that next chapter, I am offering an educational group starting next month. We will meet twice a month to discuss topics of mood swings, sleep changes, cognitive problems, and issues of sex drive. This will be a confidential forum to promote education about signs, symptoms and treatment of perimenopause issues. In addition, we will offer each other support and guidance in a judgement free environment.
If interested, please contact me at Lauren@iapwellness.com or call (404) 539-0719 for more information.