I think I’ve reached the toughest age in a woman’s life.

Actually, given that I’ve never been through giving birth, maybe I don’t really know if I have but based on my own experience, I would say this phase of a woman’s life in her 50s would be the toughest.

Physically, mentally and emotionally. Everything.

It’s adolescence all over again but backwards and a lot worse.

Now I’d like to write more about this but at the same time, I know much isn’t written about it, our own doctors discount it’s importance and think symptoms are non existent and deem the woman mad, thinking it’s all in her head. In the recent past, they medicated women into a stupor.

People don’t want to talk about it, referring it to the “M” word instead. It’s still a bit of a taboo subject.

So talking about women’s ageing health issues is awkward but I truly wish it wasn’t.

By talking about these openly as something that half the population in this world experiences, should be as natural as talking about the weather. If we did, we wouldn’t have ignorance when it comes to women’s health.

Maybe women would know that they’re not going crazy. That they could get information and what they need when they need it the most from health services that don’t berate or belittle them or not trust what they say.

I’m thankful for YouTube and the internet for being able to research my own health issues and it also makes me realise how hard women before me must have had it not having these resources at hand.

So I’m not going to write about it here but it’s likely you’ll know someone going through this difficult time in your work teams or life. And it is difficult.

It’s life but it’s hidden in plain view.

Resources That Have Helped

Jean Hailes

Menopause At Work (resources for teams and managers)