There are approximately 13 million women either #peri- or #post-menopausal in the UK according to #Nuffield #Health Group #research. Over 60% of women experience symptoms resulting in behaviour changes. 1 in 4 women will experience severe debilitating symptoms. Some of these symptoms are depression, feeling anxious, mental instability and generally not feeling “self”.
In 2017 I was diagnosed with nervous breakdown. I wrote about this in my #mental #health #blog Mental Health and Yoga Whilst at the time I thought that this was work related and of course busy lifestyle, a very demanding high powered job didn’t help, #menopause might have been the real culprit. At the time of the diagnosis, I saw an out- of-hours emergency GP and my symptoms were diagnosed as a ‘nervous breakdown’.
According to the Nuffield Health Group Research one quarter of women who visited a GP were misdiagnosed and the possibility of symptoms being menopause related was missed. I was prescribed rests, walks, counselling (was on a waiting list for weeks) and #cognitive behavioural #therapy and anti-depressants. There was no #prescription for #yoga or #meditation #classes as this is not offered on #NHS. Hopefully things are moving forward and yoga and meditation are being considered as a #complimentary rather than an #alternative #therapy although nothing is yet set in stone (see Hansard House of Lords Exchange on Yoga)
In the process of writing this and doing research on menopause – in view of my workshops and yoga work, I’ve also talked to many women. Mainly mothers with busy lives; some with children already leaving home, some with children still in primary schools. And many are experiencing the same or similar symptoms, some haven’t even been diagnosed. Approximately 38 per cent of women seek help from a GP (according to the research). Is it because of being failed by their GP due to lack of knowledge around symptoms and treatments? Misdiagnoses and the general lack of knowledge out there? Or because of the complete misrepresentation of HRT and it being an only solution out there (it is still the preferred go-to medication)? Or. is it because they’ve just been told to get on with their lives – commonly being said as ‘it is something natural that they are going through’ and all women go through it?
I tell you something, what I’m experiencing and what I was experiencing two years ago isn’t natural! I may accept the fact that I’m menopausal, I may accept the wisdom that comes with it, I may savour the sense of peaceful welcome the menopause brings – but I am not at home! Not yet at least! I’ve been in control of my life all my life – being a mother, being a wife, being a woman – and the hormones are playing a havoc with my body. I no longer feel in control. And I accept it – but I’m not able to carry on with my everyday life by ‘just being with it’!
So, two years ago faced with unreasonable deadlines at #work, #sleepless nights and a busy family led to a #breakdown. What I didn’t realise then, was that I was also suffering with hormonal imbalance as well and that could have been another or the main reason for my anxiety! I’m not so sure if me knowing would have helped – perhaps a different advice from the GP?!
So, I left my high-powered job, unsuccessfully tried antidepressants or the medical route for nervous breakdown, which helped to an extent but it didn’t treat the cause. I stopped it. I spent a lot of time walking in the nature, did many known yogic techniques like #pranayama (breath awareness) #practice and #meditation. I #persevered in my own #remedy.
How yoga and meditation helped me read in the next part as this is getting pretty long already!