From Grief to Growth : My Story of Menopause.

Some of you might know from reading our story that I joined Healing Alternatives full time as a result of seeing the profound benefits CBD had whilst looking after my father who was ill with Parkinson’s and Dementia. My father, Michael, passed away in July 2021 just after I had turned 50 and menopause had kicked in.

The combination of deep grief and hormonal change floored me and it is only now 3 years later as a post menopausal women that I truly feel I am able to look back and appreciate my journey. I hope by sharing my menopause story that it might help someone else and let you know you are not alone out there.

My Menopause Story

If someone had told me in my mid 40’s that I was about to embark on one of the most transformative and rewarding journeys of my life, I might have laughed. But that’s exactly what the menopause turned out to be for me. An odyssey of self-discovery, education, resilience and transformation. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when peri-menopause began but the lead up went as follows:

• Unexplained anxiety from around 6pm every evening.
• Having two periods in one month repeatedly.
• Scary heart palpitations in which I was prescribed a holter monitor to check the electrical activity of my heart.
• Significant hair loss where clumps of hair would come out in my hand in the shower, and finally,
• A combination of rage and grief where I would be compelled to scream into a pillow or sit in my parked car and weep.

This all waxed and waned for what seemed like an eternity. Initially I thought that these were signs of stress and burnout. I was caretaking my parents, in particular
my father. I was a mother to a young child and an independent business owner. It was only when I got my blood test results that it confirmed that peri-menopause was well under way.

Desperate for clarity I sought answers through books and online seminars. I wanted to empower myself knowing that this peri menopause phase in my life could last for up to ten years. One of the first authors I turned to was gynaecologist Dr Christiane Northrup’s “Wisdom of Menopause”. A big tome encapsulating all aspects of peri menopause and the menopause with case studies, reassurance and knowledge.

Next I read the “New Menopausal Years” by Susan S Weed which breaks down all the different symptoms and then offers up six steps of healing from “do nothing” to “break & enter”! I attended Katie Brindle’s Menopause Masterclass and learnt some helpful tips including yin rest, nutrition and breath work. I watched Shabir & Trinny Woodall on You Tube which were helpful with supplement suggestions. In the follow-up doctors appointment I was handed a print-out, listing 48 symptoms associated with peri-menopause and another one on the benefits of HRT. It was quite overwhelming to say the least. I continued my journey with support from various women’s health experts and my women friends who were experiencing similar mid-life changes. All whilst learning for myself what remedies work for me and how I could live my best life whilst going through “the change”.

I turned to nature, homeopathic remedies, supplements and spoke to a counsellor to help me navigate this time. Some symptoms would disappear and new ones would emerge. It is only when I reflect back now I realise how life puts you in the right place at the right time. It was these never ending changing symptoms that spurred me on to have one of the most rewarding and productive periods of my life creating specific CBD & botanical products alongside our formulators to help alleviate symptoms for peri-menopausal and menopausal women. These products are now listed on our site and I am incredibly proud of this body of work. In some ways the menopause empowered me to put my own individual stamp on Healing Alternatives for the first time. Our mantra from day one has always been to produce products we would want to buy ourselves, that are transformative and offer good value and thankfully I was able to do all three.

Even though I am post menopausal I still suffer from menopause symptoms currently brain fog, tiredness, weight gain and a struggle with self-confidence are the latest.

Joining forces with GenM 

One of the things I noticed in the early days of my menopause journey was just how alone I felt. It took time for me to feel brave enough to start having conversations with girlfriends about how our lives on certain days of the week had been completely turned upside down. Interestingly though it is those very conversations over the last few years that have played an important part in strengthening my new and long standing friendships. I really believe that we are stronger together and so when I came across the GenM collective I knew we had to join forces.

GenM is a truly inspirational movement. A collective of responsible brands who have been brought together by co-founders Heather Jackson and Sam Simister with the purpose of making the menopause experience better for all!

As well as providing ground breaking campaigns, research and highlighting the 48 symptoms associated with menopause GenM has created the menopause friendly MTick. The MTick is the worlds first independent symbol for menopause friendly products it aims to make it easy for consumers to find suitable products, providing them with a wealth of choice to take control of their menopause in a way that best suits them.

Brands who join the collective and sign up to the 6 point GenM pledge can submit evidence based products that will help 1 or more of the associated 48 symptoms of menopause to be approved to receive the MTick. October has become Menopause awareness month and the GenM collective’s group message last year was “WE SEE YOU” in response to the 87% of women going through the menopause who feel overlooked by brands and society. I am delighted to tell you that at Healing Alternatives we see you! and that going forward we now have 15 listed products on our website that proudly bear the MTick Symbol. I am so excited to be part of this amazing group and look forward to helping to continue to make a difference to peoples overall wellbeing and menopause journey.

Discover our MTick products and learn about how they can help relieve the symptoms of menopause.