Mind Over Menopause Menopause, a transition that every woman must someday endure, is often accompanied by a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Nowadays, however, more and more women are turning to hypnotherapy as a way to make menopause more bearable, and this month local women will have a chance to discover it for themselves. Menopause is characterized specifically by natural ovarian failure and estrogen deficiency. The average age of onset amongst Canadian women is 51, but symptoms can begin any time after the age of 40. Using hypnotherapy, women work on both a conscious and subconscious level to alleviate the symptoms. The result is typically better health, both physical and emotional, among menopausal women. Several research projects have shown that women who practice a daily relaxation-response technique such as hypnotherapy have fewer hot flashes. One of the reasons for the success of relaxation-response might be its reduction of stress, as stress is known to worsen hot flashes. “Relaxation and self-affirming thoughts can help you to maintain your self confidence and prevent self-criticism,” says Jeannie Spencer, a local clinical hypnotherapist and the owner of Invision Your Life. “The strong interaction between your mind and your body means you can make menopause more difficult with negative thoughts. More hypnotherapists are treating women for menopause symptoms, as women have become increasingly dissatisfied with traditional treatment options, such as hormone replacement therapy”.” North Americans, says Spencer, generally view menopause like another disease that needs to be cured. This may be one of the reasons there is more prevalence of undesirable menopausal side effects in North American culture. Women in other cultures view menopause more positively, she explains. A study at the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that menopause was a time of increased self-esteem for many Swedish women, as it also is in many indigenous cultures. In cultures that celebrate menopause, women suffer fewer negative symptoms, which suggests that a woman’s attitude to her transition can greatly influence the way she copes with it. Using the power of the mind,I it’s possible to successfully manage menopausal symptoms. British psychologist Frances Reynolds of Brunel University College tested the hypothesis that negative feelings might make hot flashes worse. She recruited 56 women, none of whom felt they had any control over when or if a hot flash might occur. The women who were embarrassed by the hot flashes, or who had thoughts about being old and unattractive, reported significantly more distress than women who took them in their stride. There is a fundamental link between mind and body in relation to menopause, and this is precisely the area that hypnotherapy is perfectly-placed to help with. Mind Over Menopause is a one-day workshop being held on Saturday March 29th by Jeannie Spencer of Invision Your Life Hypnotherapy. For more details, and to register, visit invisionyourlife or call 250-702-4769
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 23:08:45 +0000
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