Part 1 of a two-part series

Today we want to help you understand what is actually happening in a woman's body and life during this transition. In the next edition, we will explore the different treatment options, and the hidden gifts that this chapter can hold.

Why this matters to us

In our practice, we meet many women who arrive exhausted, unsettled and doubting themselves. They tell me they no longer recognise who they have become. Very often, hormonal change is part of the story, and no one has ever explained it to them.

Our intention is to bring more awareness and understanding to women's health, among women themselves, in their families and in their workplaces. Menopause is not only a women's issue. It is a human one, and it affects partners, children, colleagues and friends too.

An education gap we can close

Most of us learned nothing about menopause at school. Many women find out about it only when symptoms begin, and often turn to social media for answers rather than to medical professionals. Some hide their struggles at work, fearing they won't be understood. It is no wonder that so many women feel alone.

One journey, three stages

Menopause is not a single event but a gradual transition:

● Perimenopause often begins in the mid-to-late 40s and can last several years. Hormones fluctuate unpredictably rather than simply declining, and this is when most women feel the greatest turbulence.

● Menopause is a single milestone: twelve months without a period.

● Postmenopause is the long stage that follows. Symptoms often settle, and looking after bone, heart, brain and metabolic health becomes important.

More than hot flushes

Because oestrogen receptors are found throughout the body, symptoms can show up almost anywhere: restless nights, brain fog, anxiety and low mood, deep fatigue, aching joints, changes in skin and digestion, sugar cravings or a body that suddenly responds differently. Many women, and even their doctors, mistake these for stress, burnout or depression.

One patient, a woman in her late 40s with a demanding job, told us everything felt like a struggle. She was tired, forgetful, short-tempered with the people she loves, and she blamed herself. Once we understood what was happening and supported her body, she came back a few weeks later and said: "I feel like myself again."

If any of this sounds familiar, know that you are not imagining it, and you are not alone. What you feel is real, it has a biological explanation, and there is help we happily provide.

In our next edition, we will look at what can support you, and at the unexpected gifts this chapter can bring.