828: BREAK THE SILENCE AROUND MENOPAUSE

“Perimenopause is a fact of life. There’s no need to cover up what’s happening with our minds and bodies, to minimize it or be ashamed of it.” —Cherie Fournier

Menopause is something that virtually every woman who makes it to midlife will experience in some way, shape, or form. And if you’re married, menopause is also going to affect your husband. For the sake of your physical, emotional, and relational health, you have to learn how to break the silence around menopause. 

According to research from the National Institutes of Health, some 2 million women enter menopause each year. When you consider what portion of those women are married, you realize menopause impacts nearly 1 million marriages each year. 

That’s why breaking the silence around menopause is so critical. 

Society often views menopause as something that only affects the woman. For example, some of the most common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, and vaginal dryness or discomfort. 

But if you ask any husband whose wife is dealing with these symptoms, he’d likely tell you that it is affecting both of them. 

However, a lot of women don’t know that their anxiety, depression, and mood swings are a part of perimenopause and the post-menopausal season. And if wives don’t know, their husbands don’t know either. 

The physiological changes of perimenopause can disrupt your go-to ways of connecting. 

For instance, cuddling might cause your wife to get too hot. Intercourse may become painful without extra lubrication. 

On top of that, unexplained weight gain can tank your wife’s confidence. Even talking about what’s going on—which builds emotional intimacy—can be difficult. 

Women are often conditioned to approach things like this with a “grin and bear it” attitude. 

But what happens when your friends, cousins, and daughters (or daughters-in-law) reach your age and go through menopause? If you don’t break the silence now, they’ll have to endure this season without essential knowledge and strategies. 

In reality, talking about menopause doesn’t just help protect your own marriage. It can transform the marriage of other couples who learn a new way to discuss this topic. 

That includes addressing both the obvious changes—the physical and hormonal ones—as well as the less obvious ones, such as the emotional and relational changes. 

In truth, both of your bodies are aging. Beyond the hormones, you’ll have to explore new ways to connect and open up with each other. And you both need to educate yourselves about what is happening in your bodies. 

Yes, it can be awkward to discuss aging, symptoms, and bodily changes. But the more you know, the more equipped you will be to choose a path forward. 

The next Menopause Shouldn’t Suck group coaching program starts soon. Multiple wives said, “I wish I had this information 5-10 years ago!” Don’t wait that long. Discover what’s happening physically, emotionally, and relationally during this season of life. 

Stop feeling lost and confused and instead get answers, find community, and be equipped with resources to help you navigate menopause, which is something that almost every marriage is going to experience. 

Resources

Menopause Shouldn’t Suck Group Coaching Program

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