So, I haven’t been feeling fantastic the past few days. I’m not usually one to share super personal stuff, especially day-to-day things or health issues. I’ve written about some of it here on HIVE before, but it always feels a little uncomfortable for me. I’d much rather write about my thoughts, reflections, or insights—things I’ve been mulling over in my head.
Also, a quick side note: English isn’t my first language; it’s actually my third (not my second, like a lot of people here). I didn’t grow up speaking it, so I know my writing might not be as polished as someone who did. But my thoughts are my thoughts; I don't set out to deceive anyone with what I write, and I’m doing my best (and I WANT to do my best) to express them in a language that is foreign to me. I use tools and tech to help polish my writing before sharing it here, but I know some people or communities might not be cool with that (deeming them too AI-ish). Anyway, that’s okay; we all have our ways of doing things, I don't want to argue with anyone, and this is how I roll 🤷♀.
Back to the main point—I’ve been dealing with perimenopausal symptoms for over a year now, and honestly, it’s been rough. The past week has been especially tough with migraines, fatigue, and brain fog. Sleep helps a little (at least it lowers my blood pressure, which I’m grateful for), but it doesn’t fully fix things. I try to exercise when I can, usually 30 minutes at a time, but it’s not always enough. I’ve been avoiding medication for the migraines because the side effects can be just as severe as the symptoms themselves. But this morning, after three days of feeling like a zombie, I finally gave in and took the meds. It didn’t magically fix everything, but it did ease the pain and clear some of the fog. And in that little window of clarity, I decided to sit down and write this.
I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining, but I really wish people—especially women—would talk more openly about perimenopause and menopause. Why? Because it’s hard. The symptoms are no joke, and it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one going through it. But the truth is, this stuff is often stigmatized, and I think there are a few reasons for that:
It’s taboo
Talking about perimenopause or menopause is seen as shameful because it’s associated with aging, loss, and invisibility. Plus, it’s a “woman thing,” so it’s often brushed off as something we should just deal with quietly. But here’s the thing: every woman (unless they die young) will go through it. It’s a natural part of life, so why shouldn’t we talk about it?
It’s about women’s health
Historically, women’s health issues have been under-researched and ignored. This has led to a lack of open dialogue, and it’s often treated as something private or embarrassing. But it shouldn’t be. Our health matters, and we deserve to have these conversations without feeling ashamed.
Fear of judgment
We don’t talk about it because we’re afraid of being judged, dismissed, or invalidated. No one wants to be labeled as “difficult” or “crazy” just because hormonal changes are messing with their mood or energy levels. But that fear keeps us silent, and it shouldn’t.
I’m not writing this to fish for sympathy. I just want to bring some awareness to the fact that so many women are struggling in silence, feeling ashamed or alone. We need to speak up more, raise awareness, and normalize these conversations. It’s time to break the stigma.
Oh, and you might be wondering what the drawing has to do with all of this. Well, for one, I missed him, this guy I'm drawing. But also, drawing doesn’t require as much brainpower as writing does—at least for me, since I have to translate my thoughts into English before typing them out. Third, since I don't want to make another post for this drawing, I might as well include it here. This is my first drawing of the year, and I’m hoping to do more in the future.
Reference photo and the progress photos:
And the completed drawing.
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! I'm a non-native English speaker, and English is my third language. Post ideas and content are originally mine, edited with an AI editor for clarity, correct grammar, and sentence structure. Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, writing, life musings, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Note: All images used belong to me unless stated otherwise.
Thank you for visiting and reading my post. I hope you like it!
I know what you mean that people not much talking about menopause or perimenopausal symptoms. It was same in Japan and the situation gets better or I see more info about it as I'm in my forties. I feel it's talked openly in Germany. It's part of our life so why not talk about it. Nothing to hesitate about it :)
It's still very much a taboo topic in Asia. People frown or feel uncomfortable whenever we talk openly about it. Not just a peri/meno topic, as long as it's related to women's reproductive health, it's a no-no to talk about it. It's embarrassing to even buy menstrual pads in some rural areas, let alone talk about it. It's so isolating with a tinge of shame whenever I struggle with this.
Thanks for stopping by the community it’s always nice to see new faces or faces that don’t frequently come on by!
I think it’s certainly a difficult time to go through those things but I wonder if they are related to other issues going on. My wife has similar things and it’s related to poor lymphatic system drainage, vitamin deficiencies and other things. It’s not necessarily perimenopause or premenopause but some other stuff contributing to symptoms it mimics.
Stop Chasing Pain is a really great podcast that talks about a lot of these things from a lymphatic system standpoint. Hopefully you can understand it in English enough to get the important information he discusses!
You are right. It could be any of those things exacerbated by hormonal imbalances. Thank you for the podcast suggestion; I shall look into it 😃