Menopause = new life phase - Menopause Message Board

cherrylaine · 05-09-2008, 10:45 PM

I got a book from a girlfriend at work who is now sixty and through menopause. The book was written by a woman who was an OB/GYN and had just gone through menopause herself. She described all of the EMOTIONAL things and thoughts that I have been feeling. The physical ones are easy to explain, but I had no idea why I was feeling all of the emotional things I was. I have been wanting to just go off and have my own life, seperate and apart from my husband of 27 years. I just didn't realize until I read this book that the feelings I was having were normal and that I wasn't losing my mind. I now need to get my husband to read this and maybe he will understand some of what is going on with me. Maybe he will understand that my not wanting to wait on him hand and foot anymore or to go off and just be by myself for a day or so isn't because I don't love him anymore but because I am coming into a new phase of my life and it isn't all about nurturing other people any more but an opportunity to nurture me for a while. I sure hope he can come to terms with this. Any of the rest of you ever felt like you just wanted to run away and do your own thing?? Tired of being the only person to cook and clean even though you work too?

rheanna · 05-16-2008, 05:09 AM

cherrylaine,

I think that "the change" (as we sometimes refer to menopause) is more than just a physical change. As you point out, there are a lot of emotional and mental changes as well.

Yes, our husbands sometimes don't understand why things can't remain as they were. No, I don't want to spend the rest of my life picking up after other people and ignoring my own needs. I have dreamt of going off to an artists colony for a while and doing nothing but painting. That would be so refreshing!

What sort of things would you like to do? What new things would you like to add to your life? What old things would you like to put aside?

--Rheanna