Just checking in to say hello, I'm new. After spending the past 2 years thinking that I was going out of my mind and ending up being prescribed anti depressants which I am free of now, it's good to hear that I am normal after all!
My story started after hitting 44, I moved into a more demanding role, went through an organisational restructure, experienced a couple of sad passings of family relations and colleagues and then started with what at the time, I didn't know as symptoms of the onset of the menopause. Hots flashes during the night, feelings all over the place including crying at the drop of a hat, this began to spill over into my work life and at that point I thought it was stress but kept on soldiering on, like us women often do! Anyway, eventually it affected me so bad that one morning after another sleepless night I found myself unable to face going to work. From then on I took a couple of weeks off sick which I had never done in the whole of my working life and ended up in occupational health having a spell of CBT, going to the GP being diagnosed with anxiety and depression and making a few career and lifestyle changes.
It's 12 months on now and I have stopped the medication, although it did stop the hot flashes funnily enough but although they are now back, at least I know what they are now. I have reduced my hours, taken a lighter workload so my work life balance has improved dramatically, bought a dog to walk daily who brings joy into my life, began running, taken up yoga and started to make time for friends and family - this has really helped me get back on track and with your help and the recognition that i am not the only one, I feel sure that although I still suffer the usual symptoms everything is actually going to be ok.
I wish you all the same realisation and offer my friendship.
