When I was a kid, I always heard adult women in my family murmuring about "the change".

It was never called "menopause" and I don't think the word "peri meno" was even invented yet.

The stories I overheard where shrouded in secrecy and mystery, but all seemed to end with the same line:

"...She was never the same afterward..."

Now, if that's not enough to scare the beegeezus out of you, I don't know what is. And now that I'm going through THE CHANGE, is it any wonder why I am (hormones notwithstanding) nervous, depressed and dreading this more than anything else????

What stories/myths are you trying to cope with now that you are going through THE CHANGE?

Lately in our local news and paper I have noticed stories of women found dead of an apparent suicide or an accident...they are always in that age range of 45- 55. Recently, a 48 year old woman's body was found but no foul play was expected. Two weeks ago, a 46 year old woman was killed crossing the road and prior to getting hit, witnesses say she seemed disoriented and couldn't make up her mine if she wanted to cross or not.

I always think that these poor women may have been going through severe symptoms of peri and not know what was happening to them.

This is a scary thought I know...

Plumeria

i beleive its possible- at my lowest 2 yrs ago i was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown- completely out of control- wouldnt wish it on my mil-lol- my mind took a 3 day vacation and i was out of it- meno-phychosis- induced by not eating or sleeping for 7 days- its better now but the fear of losing control again is always there and the anxiety with that is unbearable !!! my faith has been my savior !!

((HUGS))

I didn't mean to dredge up memories!

But as a kid, it really did scare me to hear these things. I guess it was buried in my subconscious until recently.

I wonder, though, if these womens had issues beforehand (bi-polar, severe depression, etc) and that peri hell made things worse?

Not haunted by any particular stories - just that women have long felt a need to murmur or whisper about peri/meno. Sad that so many women still feel a need and continue to whisper or avoid the subject altogether. Thank goodness for Power Surge and the ladies here. Regards to all, JZZ

I am coming to believe that meno definately DOES exasserbate preexisting mental conditions such as bipolar, depression, anxiety and such. It's scary if you are predisposed to these issues. I have noticed crushing depression at different times and I'm only three years in so far! As far as the "she ws never the same"....I am convinced that after dealing with meno for up to a fifteen year stretch to get past it that we would all be diffent. Meno in and of itself will leave most of us with battle scars that we should proudly show off. It is a massive feat to deal with much less win victory over but we will! We may be nuts by the time it is finished and my thought of a little rubber room looks more and more inviting daily at this point but we WILL get through it! All I can say it THANK GOD we have each other!

I also remember hearing of women who had nervous breakdowns. It was all hush hush too. I dont' think back then they even knew what was going on with their bodies, and they were dismissed by the medical profession as nuts. Now we know more but unfortunatly not enough is being done to remedy the situation. yes, we get hrt and bhrt if you can afford it, meds to calm us, etc. but it's not enough. If they spent more on women and meno as they spend on viagra,, we would all be in a better place. Yeah, just what we want at this point men who can keep it going longer and longer!!! LOL!!!! I am not man bashing, just frustrated by the medical community, that's all.

You guys pretty well summed it up for me. The fear of going crazy (anxiety) and losing my mind. I seem to hang on to the horror stories longer than I ever have before. I used to just let them roll, but since being in peri, the reality of it all is here. You know, like facing your mortality! I keep telling myself, they say 60 is the new 40, so 40 should be the new 20!! LOL, if only I felt like I did when I was 20, it would be all that more believable!! Hang in there girls!!! And again, thanks to Dearest for getting this site going and giving us who want to talk about this time of our lives and share what we are going through....... I am so thankful for all who share their stories and feelings. It certainly helps! And to be able to come here and be reassured that we are not crazy when it seems that most of the medical society will not listen. Thanks for that!

I remember when I was growing up and my grandma was put into a mental hospital for 3 months because she suffered a "Nervous Breakdown". I am convinced that it was menopause. And in those days they took hormone replacement to help with the symptoms. Think about all of the women now scared to death to take the pills to help us get through it. It is no wonder that we all feel like we are losing it from time to time. I can't believe that the medical community cannot come up with something that is safe and effective to get us through the transition without such suffering. They need to quit concentrating on men's bladder issues and trying to keep men sexually active til they are 100 years old and do something about us.

tell it like it is , sister !!!

When my aunts got to be in their 60's, ALL OF THEM would nonchalantly say in discussions, "Back when I had my nervous breakdown....."

Like it was such a common thing!

I'm convinced it IS common for some of us to just fall apart during this phase of our lives. And I don't necessarily think it happens more to women who were not mentally healthy to begin with. I was FINE until peri, thank you, and then got hit with depression so severe I spent two months in bed and came THISCLOSE to being hospitalized.

It's probably far, far more common than many people believed, but Power-Surge is about the only place you'll hear severe depression, and even psychosis, listed as a symptom of perimenopause. THANK YOU DEAREST!!!!!

JJ

Hear! Hear!