There’s nothing that can prepare you for menopause. Yes, I’m sure you’re just like me, you read up on perimenopause, and talked to your friends about menopause, but until you get it, you just don’t get it. Of course you don’t get menopause exactly, it’s a completely normal part of the aging process. It’s not a disease, but for a completely natural process, it feels like quite an ordeal from where I’m standing. It’s my understanding that when the signs of menopause pass I’ll be as good as new, I hope this is the case because currently I feel like I’m slowly losing my mind.

Menopause is like PMS on acid, this is the only way I can really explain it. What I wouldn’t do to go back to PMS. I have mood swings just like with PMS, but much worse. I’m not sleeping because of my night sweats and no doubt this is clearly not helping the problem. The hot flashes are bad enough, but I could almost learn to love them if I could lose the night sweats and get a good night’s sleep. I’m not a fan of sleeping pills because I don’t like the risk of dependence and possible side effects plus I’ve always prided myself on my good sleeping habits. I’ve always kept a strict sleep schedule and until menopause I’ve slept like a baby.

I understand that some women experience anxiety and depression, I’m not sure if this is due to hormone levels or the psychological impact of getting older but I haven’t experienced any problem with this yet. Except for some wicked mood swings, I’m pretty sure my mental health is fine. Some women report memory loss, but my memory seems just as bad as it was before my hormones went crazy so it’s hard to tell. Or maybe my memory is bad but I can’t remember because my memory is bad, who’s to say.