Personal stories on perimenopause: they matter

Personal stories are one of the most powerful and relevant ways to know you’re not alone in your perimenopausal journey. All too often, women find themselves on the hunt for information about this midlife change because no one around them is talking about it. Even among friends and family members, women are mum and silent about whether they are menopausal or perimenopausal, of it they worried about what the “change of life” will be like for them . . . let alone actually being candid about their symptoms and what they’re doing about it.

As midlife women’s health advocate, educator and former practicing gynecologist Dr. Barbie “Menopause” Taylor says, “Silence is stupid.”

There is nothing golden about the silence that is so pervasive around menopause and perimenopause. That’s why personal testimonies are so critical. Here, I’ve amassed some stories of striving, persevering and overcoming by women who are willing to be vulnerable and share their own experiences. Every little bit helps in navigating this phase of life.

This list of resources is continually updated.

A Case Study for Menopause Awareness – ZRT Blog, Margaret N. Groves, Sept. 14, 2018 – https://www.zrtlab.com/blog/archive/a-neurotransmitter-hormone-case-study-for-menopause-awareness/

Come Celebrate My 14 Years of HRT Use and Turning 64 Years Old! – Create A Menopause Recovery, Kitty Anderson, July 15, 2021 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfRhG-un6EA&list=PLURYQrFSaTf9LvHZMZSm0grPmE6e3Xvgb&index=1&t=10s

Davina McCall Opens Up about Her Nightmare Perimenopause Symptoms – Loose Women, Oct. 12, 2020 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up0vjSrcljQ&list=PLURYQrFSaTf9LvHZMZSm0grPmE6e3Xvgb&index=47

Gabrielle Union Says Navigating Perimenopause Symptoms Led to Suicidal Thoughts – Kayla Blanton, Prevention, March 9, 2021 – https://www.prevention.com/health/mental-health/a35773464/gabrielle-union-perimenopause-mental-health/

HRT Patches for Menopause – Taylor Made Beauty by Kris, March 12, 2020 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTKiDwFdjc

I Miss What I Used to be Like: Women’s Stories of the Menopause – The UK Guardian, Hilary Osborne, Caroline Bannock, Aug. 25, 2019 - https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/25/i-miss-what-i-used-to-be-like-womens-stories-of-the-menopause

I’m 43 and I’m Scared to Lose My Best Feature during Perimenopause – Kelly Eden, MamaMia, Jan. 22, 2022 – https://www.mamamia.com.au/perimenopause-story/

I Stopped Taking HRT – Here’s What Happened! – HotandFlashy, June 25, 2019 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XvAlDgHGjE&list=PLURYQrFSaTf9LvHZMZSm0grPmE6e3Xvgb&index=2

I Wasn’t Me: 10 Women Candidly Share Their Experience of Menopause – MamaMia, Feb. 5, 2022 –
https://www.mamamia.com.au/menopause-stories/
 
Liz Earle’s Personal Menopause Experience – Liz Earle Wellbeing, May 15, 2020 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbcWx_ffrUM&list=PLURYQrFSaTf9LvHZMZSm0grPmE6e3Xvgb&index=11&t=1641s

Menopause: An Honest Chat – – Dawn’s Life, Over 40, April 9, 2021 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVOyYg_7o84

Menopause, MHT and Me – The Spinoff, Anna Sophia, July 27, 2021 - https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/27-07-2021/menopause-mht-and-me/

Menopause Update: Finding the Right Balance! – Hot and Flashy, Jan. 7, 2020 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akQpg6K5Wr0&list=WL&index=1

Mission Menopause: “My Hormones Went Off a Cliff – And I’m Not Going to be Ashamed” – The UK Guardian, Kate Muir, May 9, 2021 - https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/09/mission-menopause-my-hormones-went-off-a-cliff-and-im-not-going-to-be-ashamed

My Bosses Were Happy to Destroy Me – The Women Forced Out of Work by Menopause – Sirin Kale,The UK Guardian, Aug. 17, 2021 – https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/17/my-bosses-were-happy-to-destroy-me-the-women-forced-out-of-work-by-menopause

My Hormone Replacement Therapy Journey So Far – Elle is For Living, Jan. 23, 2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fauPe6ChxMQ (Also see “An Update on My Hormone Replacement Journey” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw9Iry6yx1I

My Menopause Journey – Dawn’s Life, Over 40, Jan. 15, 2018 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki8CMD-qbiI

We Need to Talk about Perimenopause – Alyssa Schwartz, Elle, Nov. 2, 2021 – https://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/a37922110/we-need-to-talk-about-perimenopause-november-2021/
  

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