#1 Menopause Expert: "You're Not CRAZY!" - Cause of Weight Gain, ANXIETY & Rapid Aging | Mary Haver

Intimacy Issues

Menopause often brings significant intimacy challenges, affecting sexual desire and partner relationships. Mary Haver highlights hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) as a common issue, noting that many women experience a decline in sexual interest during perimenopause. Despite available treatments like FDA-approved medications and testosterone, many doctors fail to address these concerns adequately 1. Vaginal pain due to genital urinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) can also hinder intimacy, but treatments like vaginal estrogen can restore tissue health and alleviate pain 2. These intimacy issues can strain relationships, sometimes leading to divorce, as women prioritize their own health and well-being 3.

Doctors aren't asking. They're not offering. They're telling women, this is time of your life. Yeah, we'll have some wine, go home, and just do it.

--- Mary Haver

Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships during menopause.

   

Mental Health

Menopause significantly impacts mental health, causing issues like brain fog, anxiety, and depression. Lisa Bilyeu shares her personal struggles with brain fog, describing how it affects her confidence and daily functioning 4. Mary Haver explains that brain fog is common, with 80% of women experiencing it, sometimes leading to job resignation due to cognitive difficulties 5. Additionally, menopause is a high-risk period for depression and suicide, with hormone therapy potentially mitigating these risks 5. Anxiety and attention deficit symptoms also become more pronounced, affecting women's resilience to stress 6.

This is where the most likely time for a woman to commit suicide is. Between the ages of 45 and 55, we see a quadrupling of depression rates through the perimenopause transition.

--- Mary Haver

Addressing these mental health challenges is essential for improving women's quality of life during menopause.

   

Physical Health

Physical health concerns during menopause are diverse, ranging from joint issues to respiratory problems. Mary Haver discusses frozen shoulder, a condition affecting many women during menopause, which can be alleviated with early physiotherapy and hormone therapy 7. She also highlights the onset of asthma during menopause, attributing it to the decline in estrogen, an anti-inflammatory hormone 8. Visceral fat accumulation is another significant issue, increasing from 8% to 23% during menopause, which poses serious health risks 9.

Visceral fat is metabolically much more active than subcutaneous fat, and it's very, very dangerous. It's very pro-inflammatory.

--- Mary Haver

Addressing these physical health concerns is vital for maintaining overall well-being during menopause.