Welcome to Mental Health through Menopause

Every day I talk with women who are struggling with some similar issues. We may have different careers, different priorities, different health concerns, different diversity markers and cultures, but the kinds of struggles I hear largely cut across these factors. Women in the menopause transition are both struggling (and thriving!) in some similar ways. We are struggling with overwhelm, burnout, fatigue, brain fog, and just feeling like we can’t care about everything all the time anymore. This is the phenomenon that has become known as feeling like we are fresh out of Fs to give. There is thankfully a growing body of content out there about the physical changes associated with perimenopause and menopause and it’s great that doctors and women are talking about this. And It’s also important to talk about mental health during this transition. I’ve done a lot of reading and research in this area and have been working with women in the menopause transition and it’s time to highlight mental health from perimenopause through postmenopause. In reality, this is decades of a woman’s life. It’s not just a few years of irregular periods, some hot flashes, and then a year of no periods. Different stages of menopause can present different mental health issues, struggles, and celebrations. 

I started a blog last year and then my own feelings of self-doubt, anxiety (yes, psychologists experience anxiety too), and just being busy with work and life got in the way of doing much writing, so I’m going to practice what I teach and start taking action on things that matter, one step at a time. And this is the start - because I value learning and I love writing and sharing with others. I also see that there is a need for good information about mental health through menopause. 

Welcome to Mental Health through Menopause. Join me in understanding and thriving through the transitions. 

About me: I am a licensed psychologist, licensed/authorized to practice in 44 states and territories, member of The Menopause Society, avid reader of menopause-related research and content, and a woman in the menopause transition. 

-Jennifer Miesch, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist and author of the Mental Health through Menopause blog