Article URL: Article appearing on CBSHealthWatch.com
Menopause/Midlife Support: With a Little Help From
Friends
Jane Schwanke, Medical Writer
Introduction
Experts say mutual support
groups are having powerful effects on the mental and physical health
of women. Today, women in midlife are embracing the power of peer support and
talking their way through menopause. Whether sharing and comparing hot flashes,
low libido, depression, hormone therapy, or night sweats, women are facing their
symptoms and learning new ways to cope. In the process, they're finding out that
they're not alone in their journey.
"Knowing that others have experienced what you are experiencing is uniquely beneficial," says Leslie Jameson, PhD, a psychologist and author in Chappaqua, New York. "Your doctor may tell you you'll get through this, but having another woman say, 'That's exactly what happened to me--and I got through it,' has a different value."
"At no other time in a woman's life does she need as much support as she does now," says Alice Stamm, creator of Power Surge, an online community for women at midlife and menopause. Yet, she says, at a time when women could really use some nurturing, "many of them are still nurturing everyone else."
So, it's not surprising that women across the country are coming together to share common midlife concerns and are gaining a new perspective by offering and receiving advice. And whether they meet in round-table discussion groups or anonymously on the Internet, experts say mutual support groups are having powerful effects on the mental and physical health of women.
Helping Self by Sharing
"Doctors, social workers, and psychologists can't be all things to all people all the time," says Edward Madara, MS, director of the American Self-Help Clearinghouse in Denville, New Jersey, a national organization that provides information on starting and finding support groups. When you share your experiences, he says, "you feel a sense of closeness and connection no professional relationship can match. People need social support. They need to be able to talk to somebody who truly understands what they're going through. And they need education--not just a flood of information, but enough to know how it applies to their life."
Thousands of women are getting peer support and education through groups like the Red Hot Mamas--organized programs dedicated to menopause education and psychosocial support. Now available in 21 states, Red Hot Mamas support groups are offered free through hospitals and health organizations, and cater to women from 35 to 70.
"Women are looking at menopause today in a positive way," says Red Hot Mamas founder Karen Giblin, who is also president of Prime Plus, Inc. "We're living longer than previous generations and we are looking at midlife as a time of renewal. It's really a time to become well informed, and we know that educated women are healthier women."
In a typical support group, women participate in lively question-and-answer periods and identify what's happening in their own bodies. "They feel more confident knowing that they're not going through this alone," Giblin says. "It's very powerful."
Led by healthcare professionals, participants delve into hot topics like alternative therapy, relaxation techniques, mood swings, the mind-body connection, and hormone replacement therapy.
"Women are frustrated when it comes to understanding the facts about menopause," Giblin says, "which is primarily due to having so little time with their physicians. And I'm sure this frustrates physicians, too. I see the Internet helping women in a big way when it comes to getting information."
Support a Click Away
According to Health magazine, Power Surge is one of the top health sites for women. Now in it's eighth year, the site connects women through lively discussions and also educates them through guest chats with prominent experts like doctors Christiane Northrup, Susan Love, and Robert Atkins, and author Gail Sheehy.
Alice Stamm, founder, facilitator, and host of Power Surge, says women can't live in a vacuum. "If you wake up in the middle of the night with palpitations and you're frightened, you can go to a site like Power Surge and find hundreds of other women who woke up the same night with the same symptoms. That's amazing."
"Menopause is a very scary
time for women, especially for those of us who are clueless about
what's happening to our bodies." Still, Stamm says she always reminds women that they need to see their
doctor when they're concerned or worried about something. "Women should do their
research and then go to their doctors. Take charge of your health, and know how
to talk to your doctor about menopause. Our mothers didn't do this: They were a
very nonempowered society and menopause was a closet subject."
"As a baby boomer, I learned nothing at all about menopause from my mother," says Mary Kelly O'Connor, a long-time and frequent participant in Power Surge chats. "Menopause is a very scary time for women, especially for those of us who are clueless about what's happening to our bodies. I find the benefits of sharing my experiences online to be fascinating and educational. There is such a wider group of women to learn from and share with--women from all over the world, not just my circle of friends.
"Online . . . we can share our symptoms, discuss what really works, and what doesn't," O'Connor says. "We can learn about medications and alternatives. We can see women who are further along in the process and realize that it will get better. There's always a shoulder to lean on, day or night, and there's always someone who understands."
Finding Support
"Ultimately, a good support group is one that meets a woman's needs and values," Madara says. When searching for a support group, he suggests women consider these criteria:
If you are looking for a support group in your community you can call your local mental health association or visit the American Self-Help Clearinghouse at http://www.selfhelpgroups.org/.
"Menopause is not a time to be passive. It's a time to take charge," Giblin says. "And with knowledge and support, women can really ease their way into menopause."
Stamm agrees. "Talking to peers with related concerns is critical," she
says. "And odds are, you won't go away bemoaning what you've lost, but
rejoicing in what you've found."
Jane Schwanke is a freelance medical writer
based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Reviewer: Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Reviewed for medical accuracy by
physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Harvard Medical
School. BIDMC does not endorse any products or services advertised on this Web
site.
Source:
CBSHealthWatch
Copyright: © 2001 Medscape, Inc.
Posted On
Site: May 2001
Publication Date: Apr. 2001
Reprinted from CBS HeathWatch by Medscape.