Menopausal Maniac
The Road Back to Sanity

As all good women do, we endure the symptoms of menopause but rue the day it ever came. In all actuality, you really don't just wake up one day and begin the journey into menopause. It is a gradual process that begins early for some women and later for others. A few lucky women experience mild symptoms while others, like me... become a cantankerous old female.

I even began hating the word "female" because it had the word "male" in it. Maybe this thing called menopause was a male conspiracy? After all... it was called "men"opause you know. My slogan soon became "for a good time, call someone else."

I was a raging lunatic, angry one moment, crying the next. I decided that I better get myself to the doctor but there wasn't much she could do for me because all the hormone tests came back normal. I screamed WHAT! NORMAL!  You've got to be kidding me. I would have given my first born child along with a dog, a cat and my canary for some semblance of feeling normal again.

There were times in the middle of the night that I would wake up from a drenching sweat and a feeling that I had just blown the top off my body's thermostat. Getting up from the bed at a ridiculous time just to stand under a ceiling fan adjusted to maximum speed (I remember wishing for turbo blast) was not what I called fun in the middle of the night and it rarely worked anyway. I began sticking my feet into the freezer to quickly bring this hormone raging inferno back to within an acceptable range. After all... I had to go to work the next morning for a meeting with my co-workers. (God rest their souls.)

Then when menopause was at it's worst and there was nothing left to try... nothing more to take and nothing more to do... I simply gave into the process. What a relief! Gradually I began to feel that I was becoming "woman"... for the first time.

If you feel you are becoming a menopausal maniac then here are a few things that can help. These ideas offer healing support while on your journey to the other side of change.

Honor. Learn to believe that you are phenomenal just as you are. Tell yourself so. You don't have to fix everything for everyone else anymore. You don't need to carry around the burdens and lessons of others. It is finally your turn! You've spent most of your life overlooking you! Pamper yourself with massage, Reiki, even yoga, self-growth and spirituality. Revisit some of those lost passions and hobbies that used to be a part of your life. Try new things. Trying new things can help you bring about more confident and self-control.

Balance. With a life of their own, female hormones at mid life can be hard to manage. When it is possible, go natural when treating imbalances. It will be better for you and the rest of the planet. Talk with a natural health expert in your area to find out what natural products will work best for you and your symptoms. For example, vitex (chasteberry) is good for hot flashes as well as drinking a soy protein shake every morning. Combined, these two will squelch those hot flashes in a flash!

Increase your intake of protein, legumes and vegetables all the while reducing dairy and red meat consumption. Progesterone and estrogen, left unchecked will often lead to mood swings, weight gain, melancholy, migraine headaches and anxiety.

Resolve. This is a time of change so resolve unhealthy relationships at your work, at home, anywhere you find there is anger, jealousy or hate. These negative emotions can drain you and leave you feeling empty. These relationships don't have to end, they just need to be repaired but repaired on your terms and for your benefit. Look over your life to see what is no longer working for you and eliminate it. Learning to listen to your intuition, your gut feelings, on everything will be most beneficial to you and your sense of well-being.

Honor, balance and resolve. Three magnificent qualities to help you change into the woman you want to be and three very important steps to subdue the menopausal maniac in you.

Mary Edison has been helping people prepare for surgery and recovery for over 25 years. She knows all the ins and outs of getting prepared for surgery and creating a successful and speedy recovery.  She has also created her "Heartfelt Gift Pick" get well list that will help you find that special and unique get well gift, something that's totally out of the ordinary ~ for your loved one or friend who is ill.

For more information about Mary, please visit Prepare For Surgery Now .  You can also download her free copy of "Your Guide to Less Stressful Surgery" so you can be completely prepared when you need to have surgery.