Hormonally-challenged daw kasi!
04/05/2008 04:33 am
Saw these words emblazoned on a t-shirt in the maternity section of SM - "I'm Hormonally-challenged!" Amused that a pregnant woman could be described that way, I thought to myself "Teka, that shirt could also be talking about menopausal me!"
When I was approaching my 50s, I begun to experience some of the symptoms described in this book, "A Guide to the Early Stages of Menopause and Beyond" . They include the following:
* Skipped periods or shorter menstrual cycles
* Hot flashes & night sweats
* Irritability
* Anxiety
* Loss of concentration
* Headaches (especially premenstrual migraines)
* Vaginal dryness
* Less interest in sex
* Urinary stress incontinemce
* Mood swings
The book says (and I know for a fact) that many of the symptoms are interconnected. What usually begins as a physical problem can escalate into a psychological problem. I look at my face and body in the mirror and Mortality stares back at me. And I am not only talking about the inevitability of death but the loss of beauty and vitality of my youth. Yes, that would sometimes be enough to drive those who us who are not ready to grow old to the brink of depression. But reassuringly, the book says that most of the symptoms can usually be explained by the rise and fall of hormone levels. Our bodies feel like they're out of whack and it's a bit unnerving. It's almost like puberty (Oh no, not again!) but this time, in reverse.
After looking at the checklist of symptoms, I found myself ticking off a number of them (Thank God, not all of them!). But I'm not telling you which ones. But I will do give you a clue you about the ones which cause me the most concern.
One of the challenges of being in this stage of my life is my erratic supply of patience. Many times I seem to lack the forbearance of letting go of events or "not making patol" people who irritate me. Instead, it's like that now I allow them to worm their way into my calm and pleasant demeanor with the end of changing me into a mean, scowling hag!
But it is not the danger of adding wrinkles to my face nor the over secretion of stress hormones which may translate into sickness that I am most wary about. It is the declining state of my soul which worries me. Every time I vent my ill feelings about someone, I feel I am justified in my anger. But after having done so, I am no longer sure if it was worth it. It is as if, by spewing out the negative words, the marrow of my moral existence is being siphoned off. It is not a comforting thought that I may end up with a dessicated, weightless soul which cannot find its way to heaven.
Can I truly blame my dwindling estrogen for this state of affairs? How convenient that would be! Or do I point to a situational factor (more specifically, certain people) as the reason for the aberration of my otherwise kind spirit (so I've been told)?
The lack of hormones & its physiological effects is probably beyond my control unless I resort to a magic cure called Hormone Replacement Therapy. So what is it that I can control? Maybe I can choose to avoid the people who serve as discriminatory stimuli for me to display uncalled-for behavior and instead be only with people who will nourish my spirit and my soul! Maybe I can go away somewhere all by myself to shed off all the toxicity that has made me unhappy with myself these days.
If there's any place out there offering Kindness Replacement Therapy, please let me know!
Saw these words emblazoned on a t-shirt in the maternity section of SM - "I'm Hormonally-challenged!" Amused that a pregnant woman could be described that way, I thought to myself "Teka, that shirt could also be talking about menopausal me!"
When I was approaching my 50s, I begun to experience some of the symptoms described in this book, "A Guide to the Early Stages of Menopause and Beyond" . They include the following:
* Skipped periods or shorter menstrual cycles
* Hot flashes & night sweats
* Irritability
* Anxiety
* Loss of concentration
* Headaches (especially premenstrual migraines)
* Vaginal dryness
* Less interest in sex
* Urinary stress incontinemce
* Mood swings
The book says (and I know for a fact) that many of the symptoms are interconnected. What usually begins as a physical problem can escalate into a psychological problem. I look at my face and body in the mirror and Mortality stares back at me. And I am not only talking about the inevitability of death but the loss of beauty and vitality of my youth. Yes, that would sometimes be enough to drive those who us who are not ready to grow old to the brink of depression. But reassuringly, the book says that most of the symptoms can usually be explained by the rise and fall of hormone levels. Our bodies feel like they're out of whack and it's a bit unnerving. It's almost like puberty (Oh no, not again!) but this time, in reverse.
After looking at the checklist of symptoms, I found myself ticking off a number of them (Thank God, not all of them!). But I'm not telling you which ones. But I will do give you a clue you about the ones which cause me the most concern.
One of the challenges of being in this stage of my life is my erratic supply of patience. Many times I seem to lack the forbearance of letting go of events or "not making patol" people who irritate me. Instead, it's like that now I allow them to worm their way into my calm and pleasant demeanor with the end of changing me into a mean, scowling hag!
But it is not the danger of adding wrinkles to my face nor the over secretion of stress hormones which may translate into sickness that I am most wary about. It is the declining state of my soul which worries me. Every time I vent my ill feelings about someone, I feel I am justified in my anger. But after having done so, I am no longer sure if it was worth it. It is as if, by spewing out the negative words, the marrow of my moral existence is being siphoned off. It is not a comforting thought that I may end up with a dessicated, weightless soul which cannot find its way to heaven.
Can I truly blame my dwindling estrogen for this state of affairs? How convenient that would be! Or do I point to a situational factor (more specifically, certain people) as the reason for the aberration of my otherwise kind spirit (so I've been told)?
The lack of hormones & its physiological effects is probably beyond my control unless I resort to a magic cure called Hormone Replacement Therapy. So what is it that I can control? Maybe I can choose to avoid the people who serve as discriminatory stimuli for me to display uncalled-for behavior and instead be only with people who will nourish my spirit and my soul! Maybe I can go away somewhere all by myself to shed off all the toxicity that has made me unhappy with myself these days.
If there's any place out there offering Kindness Replacement Therapy, please let me know!
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