(RxWiki News) How we tolerate our hot flashes and mood swings during our midlife change often depends on how we have approached the challenges presented to us throughout other times in our life.
A new study shows that women who are able to go with the flow of life’s challenges are often more able to cope with the physical and mental changes that come with menopause.
"An attitude change may be the key to fewer menopausal symptoms."
Associate Professor Lily Stojanovska of Victoria University in Australia identified resilience as vitally important to this life transition.
She said, “"We really wanted to identify the mechanisms or coping tools that made some women more resilient and able to positively adapt to a major life event such as menopause."
Some of the factors she considered in her research of peri- and postmenopausal women included: the presence or return of adult children in the home; responsibility for aging parents; sex life; and the level of self-esteem in connection with the changing shape of the body.
The Study
This quality of life study took place over three months, and involved two in-depth interviews. Three major themes emerged as a result of the research, finding that women who:
- rolled with life's adversities and challenges also sailed through menopause with ease.
- were derailed by life's ups and downs often were sidelined by the experience of menopause.
- embraced menopause as an opportunity to learn more about themselves and their bodies were “reflective, explorative and proactive in their search into ways to ease the menopausal process”
Stojanovska’s latest study confirms earlier research that proves menopause need not be a time of life to dread. A good dose of positive thinking and healthy self-care may ensure a smooth road to the second half of life.
