# Q&A: Narratives in media making menopause sound worse ##### Menstrual Cycle Awareness for Perimenopause --- ![[Pasted image 20261024192520.png]] --- ## TL;DR - Talking more openly about perimenopause and menopause is positive. It breaks the silence and helps normalise our experiences. - But if all we hear is how hard it will be, we can end up bracing for the worst. - I’m not trying to sugarcoat the symptoms. They can be fucking horrendous, but we are more than our symptoms. - I want women to feel more aligned with who they are, what they want and what they need. - I don’t want women to feel broken or pay for help because they’re afraid not to. --- ## Transcript The next question is about the growing media focus on perimenopause and menopause symptoms: could it send the message that this time will be hard and unpleasant, and affect how women experience it? And one of the things I’ve recently written about is how I’m trying to create a framework around perimenopause. I’ve mentioned that earlier. And it’s a framework that isn’t just focused on the body or the biological side or the physical symptoms. It includes the psychological, social and spiritual aspects of perimenopause. And the reason for me doing this is because I was seeing how dogmatic the talk around perimenopause and menopause was becoming. So on one hand, the talk and the narrative around perimenopause and menopause has been really positive and empowering. You know, it’s breaking the silence on these subjects and it’s helping to normalize these experiences. It’s bringing much-needed awareness because this is something women are going to face. And yet the messaging has become so focused on the struggle narrative that in a way there’s a risk of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Repeated messages about how hard it will be can leave women bracing for the worst, you know, which can heighten anxiety and negatively influence their actual experience. So I’m not trying to sugarcoat things at all with creating a blueprint that involves, say, the spiritual side. But I do think there is so much power in this part of our lives and the symptoms are just a small part of it. You know, granted, they can be fucking horrendous at times, but we are more than our symptoms. I think focusing only on symptoms disempowers us. So personally, my aim is, yes, by all means to help women with symptoms. But I also want to help them become more aligned with who they are, what they want and what they need. I want them to live this part of their lives more authentically, become more powerful and take charge. So this is something I could talk about all day. I’m going to leave it there. I’ve talked way too much. But yes, I do think there is a negative to some of the narratives that are out there. It can create a fear response. You know, that’s something I learned years ago to help make more sales with massage, especially. You know, it’s scaring people. It’s telling them that they’re broken or what’s broken in them. And then they’ll pay you to fix them. You know, it’s scaremongering to sell something. I’m getting that impression from a lot of the stuff out there. But it’s bullshit. You know, people don’t need fixing most of the time. They need to be shown a better way. So if people are going to pay me for something, I want them to pay me for bringing them joy and peace and ease. I don’t want them to pay because they’re afraid not to. So I’m hoping that answers that question. But, you know, if you have any questions, please get in touch. So on that note, I am going to love you and leave you. And I hope you have a fabulous rest of your day. And I will speak to you soon. Bye bye.