The Emotional Side of Perimenopause: “I just don’t feel like myself anymore.”

“I just don’t feel like myself anymore.”

It’s something I hear a lot when women talk about perimenopause.

Sometimes it’s obvious what feels different. You might be more anxious or forgetful, your mood might feel up and down, or you can’t concentrate in the way you used to.

There can also be an emotional side of perimenopause that is harder to put your finger on. You just don’t feel quite like you.

And of course, hormones can have a huge part to play in that. Getting the right medical advice and support is really important. But there’s no one-size-fits-all experience of perimenopause. When it happens, how it affects you and what helps will be different for everyone.

There are other things going on at this stage of life too.

Children might be growing up.

Parents are getting older, or might not be around anymore.

Relationships can feel different.

Work might be more stressful, or you might be wanting to advance further in your career.

Your body is changing.

You might find yourself questioning things you’ve been perfectly happy with for years.

So what’s perimenopause and what’s just… life?

I don’t think we can always separate the two. And perhaps we don’t need to.

Sometimes it can be useful just to have somewhere to talk about what’s happening and work out how you feel about it.

What’s changed or changing?

What do you need now?

What matters to you now that perhaps didn’t matter quite so much in recent years?

I’m not sure the goal always has to be “getting back to your old self.”

Perhaps exploring who you want to be, and how you want to navigate this new stage of life, might be more important.

Maybe there are parts of you that you’d really like back.

And there might also be parts of your life that you’re ready to change.

And that’s a reflection worth spending some time on, while also remembering to take care of yourself as you work it out.

Caroline Moylan Psychotherapist | Therapeutic Coach | Consultant Purple Apple Tree

Understanding the emotional side of perimenopause

Sometimes having somewhere to talk can help us make sense of what’s changing, our emotional side,, how we feel about it and what we might want from this next stage of life.

I offer counselling, psychotherapy and therapeutic coaching for individuals in Christchurch, Dorset and online across the UK.

If you’d like to explore whether working together might be helpful, contact me to arrange a free 15-minute telephone consultation.