Misdiagnosis of the perimenopause is of huge concern to women and understandably so. In your 40s, major life events often bombard us, without taking into account the hormonal changes that are just beginning to challenge us on a daily basis.
Your children have become teenagers and they need you almost more than when they were little: you have to guide them rather than bribe them, but with that come the heated debates, stony silences and challenging behaviours. You’re feeling jaded, faded and irritable. Chaos seems to rule your homelife and the workplace no longer feels like an escape or a morale booster. Then you lose a parent and grief hits you like a juggernaut and you don’t know how you’re going to cope.
This is when it is really important to try to distinguish between the symptoms and what’s causing them and that’s where advice from an experienced and accredited menopause practitioner is invaluable.
Many of the symptoms you are experiencing may be connected to the perimenopause, so, if you seek medical advice, it is important to check the practitioner’s credentials and experience. You may be advised to follow a course of anti-depressants, without a look at the whole picture. If you’re in your 40s, or early 50s, mood swings, low mood, lack of energy, ‘brain fog’ and a range of physical discomforts could all indicate hormonal changes rather than mental health issues. This could be the perimenopause when the hormones are in a state of flux.
At this time of our lives, contrary to popular belief and poor media coverage, we are at our strongest in terms of experience and ability to cope with whatever life throws at us. It’s a question of turning the negatives into positives and understanding what exactly is happening in our bodies. As a practising GP, Menopause specialist and Gynaecologist, Dr Saadia Meyer has the knowledge and experience to look at a client from the inside out and prescribe the most suitable perimenopause treatment for that individual. She uses an integrative holistic approach in her medical practice. Every woman is an individual and her ethos is to formulate a management plan that is personalized.
Distinguishing between external stresses and internal changes provides the key to restoring balance and self esteem, enabling women to navigate their personal life stories with confidence and positivity.