Finding and using help
There are a lot of different types of help available
for menopausal women. Choosing the right kind involves:
- being clear about what you want help with
- being prepared
to assess possible helpers for their suitability for your concerns
Knowing what you want
- Work out what issues are bothering you and which
are the most important to you, and make a list. Some of these may be
amenable to self-help, or discussion with friends; others may need
expert help.
- It is worth considering more than one source of expert
help –
some people are better with physical problems than emotional ones,
and vice versa. If you do use more than one professional, however,
see that
they are aware of one another’s roles in your care; combining
medication from several sources without this discussion is risky and
could leave
you feeling much worse.
- New research evidence on medical treatments
and women’s
health in later life is published frequently. Women who want to inform
themselves therefore need to be aware that material can soon go out
of date. Most research effort has gone into conventional medicine but studies
of complementary and alternative medicine are increasing; the Resources
section includes sources
of research information on the safety and efficacy of both conventional and complementary practice.
Choosing your helpers
- Remember practitioners often specialise. Within
a group practice, ask who is particularly interested in menopause.
- Practitioners also vary in their opinions on and approach to menopause,
so ask for recommendations from your friends - which local practitioners
have a reputation for being good listeners? It is also useful to know
how flexible individual practitioners are. For example, a local doctor
could be an enthusiast for HRT or only willing to prescribe it under
pressure; a local complementary practitioner could be similarly dogmatic
about their
practice. Trust your own instincts – if you don’t feel
comfortable with a practitioner, explore other sources of help.
- Is
your practitioner recommending something which will tackle your main
problems? Some practitioners prefer to treat issues they
think are important around menopause, and these may not be the ones worrying
you.
 How
long can you expect to wait before a recommended treatment shows results?
- What side-effects can you expect, and what should you do about them?
- You deserve explanations. Treat with caution any practitioner who
does not provide them, either in person, or in a handout. If you
don’t
like the explanations you are given, consider alternative helpers.
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