Menopause and me
MOIRA GIBBONS EXPLAINS why we urgently need inclusive healthcare for menopausal LGBTQIA people
I was 42 and working as a nurse managing two services, coping well... until I wasn’t! Suddenly everything changed, and minor niggles became massive anxieties. I visited my GP who prescribed antidepressants, which didn’t help. I developed panic attacks and was signed off work. Eventually I left my job. I thought I would never work as a nurse again. I never considered it might be menopause. After all, I still had periods, granted no longer regular, but I put that down to stress.
Fast forward several months with no improvement. I developed brain fog and mood swings. Every inanimate object in my house was screamed at! I returned to the GP and asked about menopause. She smiled and said, “You’re too young for menopause.” Again, I started antidepressants. Again, they did not help. I turned to Dr Google. I looked at websites for British Menopause Society, International Menopause Society and Newson Health, run by leading menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson, to name just a few.