It was 3:00 a.m. and pitch black.

I lay wide awake, staring at the clock.  I had an important meeting in the morning and desperately needed sleep.  But all I could do was relive the latest argument with my husband.  It was a silly argument over something totally inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

And I was the one who started it.

Restlessly, I turned over for about the 50 billionth time, edging away in disgust from the unpleasant, sweat soaked sheets that had woken me in the first place.

It was like being stuck in a “Menopause Groundhog Day” loop.

I’d wake up exhausted, drag myself out of bed and off to work.  I’d then struggle through the day, frustrated at everything and everyone.  Fast forward to home and I’d be snapping at my husband for the tiniest little word or look and go to bed hating myself for causing unnecessary conflict.

And I’d wake up in the middle of the night absolutely drenched in sweat and stare at the ceiling, reliving the unhappiness of the day.

I had no clue what was going on.

Normally, a bright, energetic person, I wasn’t myself anymore.

I was miserable.  I was making the people around me miserable and the worst part was … I knew I was doing it, but I could NOT stop myself.

Does that sound like you?

I felt like I was losing my mind.

I hate going to the doctor, but in desperation, I finally gave in and made an appointment.

She was older than me and she listened quietly as I poured out my pain and darkest fears.

“This thing, whatever it is, is ruining my life,” I blurted.  “And I don’t know what to do or who I am anymore!”

“Based on what you’ve told me, you’re most likely going through menopause.” she replied.  “And trust me, it will get better.”

At that stage, I wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not, but at least there was a little glimmer of hope.

After all, once you know what’s causing the problem, you can start dealing with the root cause.

Menopause is something that nearly every woman ever born eventually goes through.

But the weird thing is … hardly anyone talks about it!

Neither my mother, nor either of my grandmothers talked about menopause.  Ever.

None of the other older women I knew talked about it.  In fact, I do not recall ever having a single conversation about “the change”.

And that’s a shame because it meant that here I was, right in the middle of this life-changing phase and I was incredibly ill-prepared for what it was doing to me and to the people I loved.

So I started researching and learning as much about menopause I could.  I quickly discovered that I was not alone. So many, many other women struggle with menopause too.

As a result of our experiences with menopause, my business partner, Sharon Langshaw and I want to share what we’ve learned so other women can understand what’s happening to them instead of thinking that they are going crazy.

It’s been a few years now since my visit with my doctor and the good news is, she was right.

Life does get better.  Much, much better.

The Menopause Effect blog is dedicated to helping other women take control of this topsy turvy, confusing period of their lives.  To help YOU come out the other side a stronger person, ready to begin the next chapter in your life.

If you’d like to be part of that journey, sign up to our mailing list and we’ll share our stories, blogs and advice with you on a regular basis.

Now you.

Do you lie awake thinking about something silly and meaningless?

How about tossing and turning and sweating up a storm?

Something else?

TELL US IN THE COMMENTS.

P.S.  So that we can keep you in the loop you can subscribe to our mostly weekly dispatches. You’ll get to know more about menopause by walking in other women’s(probably sensible) shoes. And hopefully the confidence and know-how to find out how to stop the insanity & symptoms (if that’s possible), so you can start doing your life YOUR WAY.

Warning: F-bombs pop-in here and there but they’re kept to a minimum. ?

Onward!

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