Often when we hear the word "menopause" we still, even in this modern age, conjure up a picture of a woman completely out of her mind, driving her family wacky with her emotional instability. We also may envision a sad, pathetic woman for whom life is just about over. And if we happen to be the one who has just hit this phase of life, neither of these images is particularly uplifting. Luckily, neither characterization of menopause is accurate. Most women do not go through any "significant and lasting emotional changes" during menopause, and if you’re 40 and healthy, you could have another 40 years to live. That’s a lot of time to fill and many women report that once they make it to the postmenopausal stage of their lives, they feel a sense of renewed energy and potential.

Biology vs. Attitude

Without a doubt there are biologically-based symptoms that go with menopause. And some women experience more of them than others. It is not true, as some authoritarian physicians of the past would have had us believe, that we are bringing these symptoms on ourselves because of a "neurotic" reaction to the changes that are occurring.

However, complicating these very real symptoms are Western attitudes about aging. In a culture that idolizes youth, menopause becomes a dirty secret. Educated, sophisticated baby-boomer women, who have always kept up to date with their careers, the latest in child-rearing practices and techno wizardry, may be woefully ignorant about menopause. This seems due to an unconscious denial that this "horrible thing" can ever happen to them.

Denial

The ignorance of many physicians doesn't help. When women present with symptoms of menopause in their 30s and 40s, their gynecologists may deny that these symptoms could possibly indicate the onset of menopause since the woman is not yet 50. The doctor does not know that it is not uncommon for women to have symptoms of menopause many years before 50.

The Stages

There are three stages of menopause: perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. This Menopause Guide describes each phase and discusses available treatments to alleviate, or at least lessen, symptoms.