Menopause can cloud your judgment. Estrogen deprived brains, anecdotally speaking, can cause you to make some rash choices or to become incapable to make any choices. Often that sweet nurturing side of your personality is suddenly gone. You may find yourself crying often and frequently. Once you had a steel trap for a memory and now you wander into rooms wondering why. Many of your friends or family members or co-workers may notice these changes in your mental or emotional state. Some may even be brave enough to engage you in a conversation about the ‘new’ you.
Here are the signs that menopause has a firm grip of your brain and how to cope:
CRS, Can’t Remember Shit
Write everything down. Do not say to yourself that you will remember, you will not! Write everything down on a note pad that you keep in the same spot in your purse or on your desk so you can check it often and frequently.
Do not leave it to your phone because you will forget to charge your phone.
DGS, Don’t Give a Shit
You think you look better, younger, and sexier, than anyone else you know even when others may comment lovingly, critically or snidely to you about your dress, hair or overall appearance and you don’t care.
You think you used to be the smartest person in the room. You know that may not be the case because you can not remember some words or have become dependent on spell check but who cares?
You can not watch a beauty pageant, the Olympics, a Lifetime/Hallmark movie with-out sobbing. You hate criers at work and now there you are blubbering about someone’s story and you don’t care.
Mood Swings
Remember when you were a teenager and your own Mother was frustrated with your snotty attitude? No? Well she was and you didn’t know what set you off? Your hormones are fluctuating like that again. One day you are happy and satisfied and the next you are selling the house, leaving the family and job to eat chocolate in Paris!
Are people saying things like “You just need your morning coffee”? Do you have co-workers who only email you? Does your family ask “Why are you so sensitive?” Do you have some road rage? Have you gone Ape Shit in a public setting? Have you been arrested?
What can help? Try to get a good night sleep. Ask your Doctor for sleep medication. Not even when you were at the top of your game did you function well while sleep deprived! Try exercise of some kind. Whacking a ball in some sport or joining an exercise/dance class can help with the mood swings. Don’t self medicate with wine or drugs. Talk with friends your same age. Just know it is normal, you are not going crazy or becoming emotionally unbalanced; you are menopausal.
I am sure I forgot an important tip or sage advice but you can comment here.