Changes. What would women’s lives be without changes? As teenagers, we anxiously awaited with dread to get our first period. This was a time in our lives when this change was not talked about, at least not with our mothers. That is the way it was. If you were lucky and had a sister to talk to, then some comfort came your way. If not, then you had to depend on your girlfriends to give you all of the information they had, which consisted of exaggerated stories they heard, only increasing our fear.

The next changes in our lives came after giving birth and while raising our children. Talk about adapting to change. Now move ahead thirty or forty years and we find ourselves in our middle years; once again faced with changes of perimenopause, the stage before menopause.

While at the beginning of this perimenopausal stage, we may experience hot flashes, mood swings, and irritability for some time before we make a connection between these symptoms we have and perimenopause. These changes begin when we are busy raising our families, working, and/or helping our aging parents. It is helpful to have access to the internet to search and read about any symptoms we are having, especially if we are not able to see our doctor right away. It helps to be informed and to know what other women are experiencing. All of this can be helpful and comforting when beginning perimenopause.

After discovering that we are beginning this new phase in life, we all react in different ways. For some women, this stage feels great and gives us a sense of empowerment. For other women the changes make them feel old and they may fear their youth is slipping away from them. Either way perimenopause challenges all of us to take a look at our lives and decide what is and isn’t working both physically and emotionally. It is a perfect time to make some changes as we begin this menopausal journey.

The whole process of perimenopause begins about two to eight years before menopause. Going through menopause this way is the natural route and it may take up to ten years to get all the way through menopause. This can certainly seem like a long time, but the changes occur gradually.

Some women go through menopause prematurely; they may be in their thirties or forties. The whole process of menopause for these women last from one to three years. Some reasons for experiencing early menopause may be due to illness or chronic stress. Nutritional deficiencies or autoimmune disease are some reasons why women begin to go through menopause early.

Other women go through menopause artificially because their ovaries have been removed. Radiation or chemotherapy can also put women through menopause quickly. The changes for these women are abrupt and can be severe. It is estimated that one in four women go through menopause this way.

Whichever way you begin your path through menopause requires change. How you adjust makes a big difference. Hot flashes may not be any fun but the end result of not having periods any more is something to look forward to.