Supporting Friends Who Are Dealing With Menopause

One of the things I love to do is support others when they are going through something in their lives. It also feels great when I have friends who support me back.

So let’s take a look at suggestion regarding how you can provide support to friends who are going through menopause.

What not to say…

According to Prevention.com in the article 8 Things To Never Say To Someone Going Through Menopause a few things to be careful about saying:

• Don’t say: “Oh, you’re not old enough for menopause yet.”
• Don’t say: “I can’t believe you have to use the bathroom again!”
• Don’t say: “Wait, you’re still going through menopause?”
• Don’t say: “Why no, it’s not at all hot it here.”

OK, I know that last point above is a little funny. However, it’s really a good thing to remember. As someone who is transitioning through peri-menopause, before I realized that I was changing, I did ask that question. Of course, I received weird looks from those I asked.

How to provide support…

Also according to Girlfriendology.com in an article entitled Be a Better Friend to Women going through Menopause, some of the things that you can do to provide support are…

• Talk and Listen
• Be sensitive — she may be!
• Go for a walk
• Explore resources for her

This list does give great tips on how you, as a friend to someone going through the transition, can be supportive. So my favorite from this list is “talk and listen” because sometimes I just want to be heard.

What does it look like to “talk and listen” when providing support? It basically means that you are willing to truly tune into what your friend is saying and actually hear what she’s saying.

Sometimes she may only want to be heard and not so much to receive feedback or have someone give her a solution. Just being there for her and listening is one of the best gifts that you can give your friend.

Looking at the numbers…

I thought it would be helpful to provide a few numbers about Menopause to help you better understand how often the transition happens and how it can affect those around you. This resource for the infographic below is InfographicJournal.com.

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