How menopause anxiety can cost you more than your sanity

It’s estimated more than 1.1 billion women in the world will become postmenopausal by 2025. Whilst many menopause symptoms are well-known, what’s less reported and understood is its connection with anxiety.

Here, Shirley Billson, The Menopause Anxiety Coach and a survivor of menopause anxiety, discusses how it can cost you more than your sanity:

Shirley said: “I decided to focus my training as a hypnotherapist into this area when I realised many of my menopausal clients were also suffering with anxiety. No one seems to be asking the obvious questions, which are ‘why is this happening?’ and ‘what is the real impact?’

“Women are sacrificing a lot more than their current income. They risk sacrificing their closest relationships plus their entire future earnings and everything they had ever planned for.

“Providing a desk fan or adding flexible working doesn’t cut it if you’re also experiencing mood swings, anxiety and think you’re going mad or have dementia.

“Extended life expectancy means many women have as many working years ahead of them as behind them. Yet around three-quarters of adults in today’s working-age generations are expected to fall short of Pensions Commission adequacy benchmarks. This demonstrates the importance of maintaining women’s confidence in their ability to continue earning and building income for retirement when it eventually arrives.”

Shirley shares her top advice for women experiencing menopause anxiety:

Take cold showers daily. Yes, really. It shocks the nervous system in such a way that enables it to reset to increased calm and control.

Make time to meditate. It supports your brain chemistry to reward you with increased serotonin which has been depleted by low oestrogen.

If you know what you don’t want to be thinking or feeling, challenge yourself to think about what you want instead. This allows your thoughts to support you rather than trap you.

Consider going private for HRT with a menopause specialist. GPs can be woefully ill-informed and simple oestrogen CAN make anxiety worse for some women.

Get therapeutic coaching to strengthen positive neural pathways. The sooner you get help, the easier a journey through menopause you will have.

Shirley, from Pershore, Worcestershire, supports menopausal women through The Menopause Anxiety Coach to regain confidence in their relationships and at work to plan reliably for the second half of their life. For some women, the fluctuation of hormones during menopause can lead to high anxiety and panic attacks.

Shirley first adapted her skills as a qualified hypnotherapist whilst suffering undiagnosed menopause anxiety herself. She has subsequently developed the methods she used on her own path to recovery and incorporated her interest in neuroplasticity to support other women.