Alexandra Crosskey wants to break the taboo on menopause. She believes that women should talk more openly about menopause. & Nbsp;
It all started last summer when Alexandra was 48 years old.
Her husband had noticed that Alexandra was not quite herself. She had a shorter fuse, experienced anxiety attacks and the sheets were bathed in sweat at night. Alexandra’s husband therefore started sending her articles about menopause. She especially remembers an article about a menopause cafe. More on that later…
“My husband had caught the signals before I had. I was struggling with anxiety and was dizzy. It was very unlike me because I am a very confident person. I found it difficult for me to stay focused. The hot flashes started to get nasty. At night, I experienced a combination of hot flashes and panic attacks at the same time, “she says.
For Alexandra, the onset of menopause was a hefty experience. She experienced a mixture of both physical and mental genes.
“My bleeding became heavier and my period became irregular. Sometimes I could not get out of bed for two days because I felt like my gut was about to fall out. I remember that I tended to be a little more angry and behaved a bit irrationally, “she recalls.
Changed diet and exercise
Alexandra took up the fight and came up with strategies to get better. She began to accept menopause and read more about it to understand what it was all about.
”I changed my diet. I started eating soy-based foods, nuts and seeds that can support hormone balance. I started exercising, and took a dip in the cool sea water in the morning, which helped on my body after a night bathed in sweat with hot flashes. It took a lot of my physical and emotional symptoms. ”
Alexandra says she’s fine with herself today. Her menstruation has been absent for three months, after which it has returned. This time not as powerful as it used to be.
Do not act like your mother
Alexandra is annoyed that women do not talk more openly about such an important transition in their lives, and shares their experiences to help each other. Therefore, she has taken the initiative to start a menopause cafe, where women can meet to drink a cup of coffee or tea and have a chat about menopause.
“We need to break the taboo around menopause. Within the last few years, a change has begun where famous women talk openly about menopause, and that is interesting, ”she mentions
American stars, such as Oscar winners Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie, have both spoken openly about menopause. And Alexandra believes that all women should learn something from it.
“We should not do as our mothers did, and go through menopause without sharing this phase of our lives with our spouse and family. It is important that we involve them so that they understand that we are not going crazy. ”
Alexandra also wants to strike a blow for menopausal career women.
”Imagine a woman who is at the peak of her career. She is sitting at an important meeting and suddenly sweat trickles down her face or she has a hard time coming up with a certain word because she feels dizzy, ”she says, and encourages women to dare to take the plunge and talk openly about menopause and make a difference – even in the workplace.
By editorial staff
About menopause cafe:
The next menopause cafe will take place on Thursday 24 September at 10 am at KaffeKilden, Nordre Frihavnsgade 81, 2100 Copenhagen Ø. Registration can be made to: alexandracrosskey@gmail.com.