Chasing Normal: My Perimenopause Journey Back to Myself
Hello lovelies,
Given that it’s something I’ve spoken about many times, I thought it was about time I shared my own perimenopause journey so far in one post, so here it goes.
I was minding my own business in my mid-thirties when perimenopause came and gatecrashed the party. No, it wasn’t early menopause, and I wasn’t too young, as the doctors insisted. But this isn’t just a tale of hormonal chaos; it’s a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and embracing the rollercoaster of changes that come with perimenopause. Are you ready?
Mood Merry Go Round
I went from being a social butterfly to wrestling with anxiety. I found myself panicking over the slightest thing, things that would never usually bother me. I was moody, I would burst into tears for no reason, I would take offence to the slightest thing, and I would be enraged over the tiniest inconvenience. I felt like a stranger in my own skin.
A Desperate Diagnosis
I was so desperate to feel “back to normal” that I accepted the diagnosis of depression and readily took the antidepressants prescribed to me. Once the initial side effects of nausea wore off, I didn’t feel depressed anymore, but I didn’t feel much of anything. I was living beneath the surface; my senses were dulled, and whilst I was thankful not to feel so sad or anxious anymore, I didn’t want to feel numb forever.