Topic Tuesday // Mental health and menopause // 15 Aug, 7pm AEST

[NikNik]

Welcome to Topic Tuesday! 

During this session we will be exploring menopause and looking at how to maintain your mental health. While we will be sharing information, we want to hear about your own experiences with menopause.

What did you experience?

What helped?

No two experiences are the same - so jump in and share yours to help others.

Join us from 7pmAEST

Two things you can do now

1. Hit the 'Like' button below to get an email reminder on the night

2. Read our blog on menopause

[NikNik]

Good evening everyone!

Ahh menopause something that all of us ladies will go through, have been through or are currently going through.

While most of us who are yet to go through it, jump for joy at the idea of no more monthly menstruation, we have to go through a lot to get there!

Tonight we will look at:

The different stages of menopause

What typically happens to us

Treatments & strategies to reduce symptoms

Is it menopause or mental illness?

But to kick off the night, it would be great to hear what has brought you to tonight's session.

A big welcome to @BlueBay @Shaz51 @Teej @CheerBear @Kurra @Mazarita 

[Mazarita]

Hi @NikNik and all, I'm here tonight because I am going through menopause and am really just interested in everyone's perspective on it and how it affects our mental health. I'm also happy to share my own experiences with it. 

[BlueBay]

Hi @NikNik

I struggle with menopause, the bad moods, the anxiety, the depression, all the symptoms that go with it. Aches and pains, memory loss, thining of hair, acne at times, more facial hair (just what I need!!) etc

I am sure that menopause is not helping with my mental illness.

[NikNik]

Welcome @Mazarita & @BlueBay - so great to 'see' you both 🙂

I wonder if we have any other 'lurkers' here tonight 

[Shaz51]

 I'm here tonight because I am going through menopause , me too @NikNik, @BlueBay.  @Mazarita

[Former-Member]

Hi, I'm here to offer what I can from personal experience of my manapause and perimenapause years, the most stressful time of my life, on several fronts (teenagers, divorce, family court, family severe MI diagnosis,/empty nest, friend betrayal), I yelled at the kids too much, anxiety & depression went through the roof and nothing helped. I needed support, not pills.

[NikNik]

Let’s kick off with an overview of menopause and the different symptoms.

Everyone experiences these differently – length or time and/or types of symptoms and their severity.

@BlueBay - I notice a lot of what you have already shared in the infographic above! While it might not make the symptoms any easier - it seems that your experiences are quite common!

Has anyone ‘been there, done it’ and want to share how long they went through (or have been going through) it and what were the main symptoms for them – both physical and psychological?

[Former-Member]

Hi @NikNik, I'm reading..... but not posting.
I'm very interested about the biological intersection between menopause/puberty/childbirth and mental health. I think there are a lot of scientific discoveries that will come out of these links.

[NikNik]

Welcome @Former-Member and @Shaz51 !
Thank you so much lapses - I'm sure your experiences are going to add a lot of value to the topic tonight.