Some women will sail through the menopause feeling very little effects, but others will suffer for years. This is because it is a change in hormones that happens very gradually, and to start with the differences can be so slight that they may not even be associated with the menopause. You might find that you are not sleeping quite so well, or that your hair needs washing more often. These are simple things that can easily start in your early to mid-forties, long before you think of going through the menopause. It is a time known as perimenopause, and this can last for several years.

Your hormone production is reducing at this stage and eventually will start to affect your periods. They may become heavier or lighter, but they need to have stopped totally for 12 months before you know you have officially reached the menopause.

An End to the Monthly Hassle

There is no doubt that the best thing about the menopause is the end of the monthly periods. Once a woman has had her children, they become more of a nuisance. It is not just the physical mess of them. Periods can make a woman feel moody and physically ill. Suffering like that every four weeks from the age of 13 or 14 to perhaps 50 or so, and most women are glad to see the end of them.

No More Contraception

Once the 12 months of no periods are done with, there is no longer any need for contraception. At a time of life where for women they can be experiencing some discomfort during sex, the freedom of not having to worry about which contraceptives to use can be an enormous boost to their sex drive.

Symptoms of the Menopause

Most of the symptoms of the menopause are well known. Women suffer from hot flushes, migraines, weight problems, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, and night sweats among other things. These are all very real and although comedians like to make jokes about some of them, when women are going through all these things, it is not very pleasant at all. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can make some women feel better, and there are many natural herbs and vitamins that can help as well.

Another symptom of the menopause is anxiety and mood swings, and with all those physical symptoms, that should really not be a surprise. If you want help to cope with this side of the menopause, contact us today to schedule an appointment with the best psychotherapist in NYC.