I am so sick of hearing about menopause

[haveyouheardthemenopauseisshit]

I get the menopause is a big deal for many women and the symptoms are not nice.

However, do we have to talk about it all the time? I feel like I am hearing about it multiple times a day. We have menopause awareness sessions and e-learning at work. I’m targeted by advertising every time I look at my phone for some new product / vitamin / book etc which is supposed to help with menopause symptoms. I feel like it’s constantly being mentioned on the radio, TV, by people I know.

If someone is forgetful, it’s the menopause. If they’re tired, it’s the menopause. If they’re angry, it’s the menopause. If they’re hot, it’s the menopause.

I’m 39 and I feel bombarded by all of this “THE MENOPAUSE IS COMING SOON AND IT WILL BE SHIT” messaging.

I am also a bit worried that it will make it even harder to be taken seriously as a woman in the workplace, since the prevailing message now seems to be that women over 45 are basically useless because of all the issues caused by their hormones.

I’m guessing I’ll be in the minority here and everyone else will think that the awareness raising is a good thing but I just find it quite depressing!

I agree OP.

In my 30s and around every corner is DO YOU THINK ITS PERIMENOPAUSE???

Makes me feel like I’m an old lady already or something, which I’m clearly not. Like everyone’s in a rush to hit the menopause and looking for signs as early as possible.

I agree, OP.

I'm nearly 52 and definitely in perimenopause (to quote my female GP, "Well, you will be at your age.")

But I'm not really having any symptoms beyond brain fog and a few twinges.

But I hate the fact I'll be looked upon at work as a woman in the danger zone of menopause. I don't like the thought that any mistakes I make will be put down to menopause or that issues I face will be dismissed as, "Well, Grey's menopausal."

It's like I hit 50 and I'm suddenly viewed through a different lens and people banging on about menopause as a reason rather than considering other factors is very dismissive and stops actual issues (eg at work) from being addressed or considered.

I mean, you say that and then start an actual thread about it …. 🙄

I am suffering horribly with it so am glad I don’t have to hide myself away like my poor nan and mum did and listen to everyone sniggering about the change.

ACT HOW AAAAAAAA

What can a 39 year old do besides spritz water at anyone coming towards her with a pamphlet and a grim expression? Calling out "Oh you feel fine now but just WAIT UNTIL YOUR VULVA DROPS OFFFFF"

It's 'everywhere' just now because there's finally a better understanding of peri/menopause. Previously it was 'the change' spoken about in hushed tones like it was some taboo subject and yes, women were still 'reduced to their hormones' even then. At least now no one needs to suffer in silence.

Well done to posters who state they have no symptoms so therefore the menopause isn’t a big deal🙄

Oh God, @haveyouheardthemenopauseisshit I could not agree more, absolutely sick and tired of hearing about it on the TV, radio, doctors, work… and 99% of threads on here mention the menopause or (FFS) peri-menopause 😠

Thank God my friends can’t bear it either and we have far more interesting things to chat about.

I’m 50 - what will be will be 🤷🏼‍♀️ It must be even more annoying if people are ramming it down your throat and you’re only in your early 40s.

I think it will die down soon - it needed to be given a higher profile as it does have an impact on some of us women and work/partners perhaps needed better understanding around that. We are now on tick box work place pandering and peak info overload - happens when things become issues!

I think you might be grateful in a few years or maybe you’ll sail through it - we are all different.

Like another poster I’ve gone from a fit and active working single parent to a person with joint issues, pain, and exhaustion - still working full time and trying to parent - it’s hard - for me! This will pass but I’m glad work are more accommodating because of the higher profile.

I agree with you. It's like we're being defined only by our biology. Medical knowledge yes, treatment awareness definitely, being able to talk about it of course, but endless ads and marketing, people blaming any /all symptoms on it, people on here saying "just you wait..", treating it like a disability for all women, nope.
It reminds me of the horror stories about childbirth when you're pregnant. And like that, most women can manage to get through it okish, with some help obviously.
It's depressing to be bombarded with it all the time. Just becomes a marketing opportunity, like the anti ageing industry.

Why shouldn't they say that? We're not all the same.

To be honest a little more silence on the topic would be nice

The day a bloke at work asks me about it thanks to these endless awareness sessions is the day I'm arrested for assault

Which would be wholly irrelevant if every employee appreciated that the monthly salary is paid in return for rendering full contractual duties.

I generally think awareness is good as most women do get various degrees of symptoms with some affected more than others. I was fortunate that I got by without HRT but I do have friends that did suffer terribly. It made their day to life shit. Just like periods are talked about openly now, it’s good that the same is happening around the menopause.

Absolutely this.

This - with absolute bloody bells on!

I'm in my 60s, not on HRT and not having periods is FANTASTIC. Many of my 60+ friends are the same. Some women do have a horrendous time when they go through the menopause (and they should have all the support, medical and otherwise, that they need) but for many women it is liberating. This idea that we all become gibbering wrecks etc once we hit middle-age does such a lot of harm.

It's more about everything being put down to menopause which just allows women voices to be silenced from a different perspective

And I guess there are, perhaps parallels with people saying ‘why do we need so much info around the impact of periods’? When they aren’t one of the women who are in agony with endo or bleeding like a murder victim 2 weeks out of 4 - some people do suffer and need a bit of support

For some of us it wasn't, are our experiences worth less because we didn't suffer the required amount? Why shouldn't our voices be heard as well?

Sorry tbh might not have been clear I'm a cleaner. It's v physical work the pub I worked I put the heating on at around 7am. It was hot to be doing manual labour. The woman I worked with kept going to get more water. Pm me if you want more details. I'm. A real woman born as One.

What I don’t get is that isn’t the low mood symptom primarily about having teenagers?

And just to reiterate what I said earlier

I'm of an age where I know my hormonal levels are dropping

And it feels AMAZING

I don't get pmt any more, no hormonal acne, no hormonal anxiety, even occasional office crushes feel more... Pleasant flirtation and less overwhelming. I'm focused and calm and in control.

You've got to keep your protein and calcium levels up I daresay but that's also true for men. Sarcopenia comes for us all.

I do think that people fail to adjust for life (and world) circumstances

So glad you said this. Thought it was just me!! I am the same age as you and I can’t seem to go a full week of my life without seeing the word somewhere! Whether it’s ads, or someone suggesting “must be menopause/peri”

I couldn’t work out whether it was all because of my age or a shift in the world and even young women find it’s always mentioned by people as well? (Well, more than I did in my 20’s which was next to never!)

I don’t want my impending aged status pushing in my face when I’m trying to enjoy my day as best I can. As and when it arrives I will deal with it then and not before. Awareness and acceptance are great, but the constant pushing is actually making me feel very low.

Agree we aren’t all the same. I didn’t say that

But if you have no lived experience of something then your opinion won’t carry much weight to influence that of others.

This.

It comes across 'As soon as women are in their mid-40s they're a hormonal mess and pretty much useless'.