Guest Blogger
Holly McCarthy
There’s a lot that women have to go through in their lifetimes – at first, it’s the burgeoning sense of womanhood where your body starts to undergo changes that signal the end of innocence, then you endure your monthly menstrual cycle with all its aches, discomfort and inconvenience, after which you move on to pregnancy and motherhood, one of the best (and worst) experiences there is, and finally you have to go through the agony of menopause, your body’s way of telling you that you’ve reached the end of your fertile years.
All these stages are accompanied by random hormonal changes, erratic mood swings and a host of physical and mental complaints. But a woman still stoically bears it all; until she reaches menopause, that is. Perhaps it’s the fact that you’re growing old, or even the truth that you’re not in the prime of your health anymore; whatever the reason, menopause is one of the hardest conditions a woman has to bear. It comes with numerous side-effects, one of which is the loss of libido.
You may find yourself less interested in sex and even the acts leading up to it, and this is because of the decrease in the level of estrogen in your blood. This is the hormone that’s responsible for making the vagina wet and keeping it lubricated during sexual intercourse, so when you’re at the menopause stage, it’s normal to find yourself lacking the will and the desire to have sex.
Besides, you’re also likely to suffer from mood swings, depression, hot flashes, insomnia, stress and other health complications that arise because of the medication you’re taking. These are factors that contribute to the decrease in your libido. And when you find yourself unable to enjoy sex like you used to, you may find that your anxiety grows and adds to your stress level. The problem is compounded by other factors too – you may start wondering if you’ve become too old to enjoy a passionate night with your loved one, or if you don’t look as beautiful as you used to because of the side effects of menopause.
There’s a way to get around these problems and enjoy the twilight of your life when your kids have all left the nest and you’re alone with your spouse – you need to be aware of menopause and its complications. When you are informed of the causes and reasons for feeling the way you do, you’re not likely to feel the stress. You can make educated efforts to improve your relationship, by not focusing on sex alone and working on the bonding factor and the emotional closeness you enjoyed during your courtship.
Menopause is an inevitable part of life if you’re a woman, so the best we can do is to understand this process and be ready to tackle it head on.