Wellness Corner

We all know about the physical symptoms that are associated with the onset of menopause. We've heard about the hot flashes and we know that our periods are going to get erratic before they stop altogether. As aging women, we prepare for those things.

What we often fail to prepare for is the emotional issues that arise with menopause. Women entering menopause face a series of common concerns that will need to be worked through in order to age gracefully and happily.

Some of these concerns include:

- How to deal with changing sexuality. Hormones are going to get out of whack and we need to figure out how to be sexual in our older age.

- Self-esteem problems related to perceptions of beauty. It's been ingrained in to us for a long time that beauty is equated with youth. It can be hard to see ourselves as beautiful as we start to get older.

- Feelings that we haven't done enough with our lives. Menopause marks a shift in to old age and can get us in the mood of thinking about all of the things that we haven't done yet.

Menopause is hardly a sign that life is over. However, issues about aging will come up at this time. A good group of friends, a wise counselor and a commitment to dealing with the problems as they arise can help battle these issues.

Question of the Day: What issues do you anticipate coming up for you during menopause?

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