Menopause: A Qualitative Study

I found this to be the most interesting because many different topics were addressed and brought up as to what may be a preceptor to mid life crisis. (Wethington, 2000, p. 92) The most common answer from individuals was that midlife crisis had something to do with life events and transitions. I found the most interesting answers came from the lower percentages of people. The lower percentages of people (less than 10%) said that midlife crisis was provoked by such things as job loss, career disappointment, increasing health issues, sexual dysfunction, menopause, mental health illness, stress and some other unique cases. I found this to be fascinating because I believed that these were the common preceptors to a mid-life crisis. So discovering that very few people found these to be a starter was rather shocking to

Aging is very complex and highly individualized process which begins at conception and end with death. Variables such as physical or cognitive impairments, socioeconomic aspect, cultural values, and beliefs make an aging process unique to each individual. I interviewed an elderly woman using a set of guided questionnaires on the topic to further explore her aging experience. For the purpose of this assignment, I will refer to the client interviewed as a D.L., a changed name for a reason of privacy and confidentiality. During the interview, we explored a D.L. strategy to stay healthy, significant accomplishments of her life, hobbies and activities, retirement, and finally the goals for the future.

The area of greatest disagreement was the area of midlife crisis. “Levinson (1978) views midlife as a crisis, arguing that the middle-aged adult is suspended between the past and the future, trying to cope with this gap that threatens life’s continuity (Santrock, 2013 p. 512). This is particularly interesting because the female responded that she was experiencing a midlife crisis and the male did not. However, in this instance, the female is still in the workforce and the male is retired. The experiences that the female related closely resemble the conditions of the male during the time of Levinson’s study. In addition to still working, the female had recently changed her place of employment, and within the past five years lost both of her parents. While the male was retired and took care of the house and children, his stress level had been reduced as he became the primary care giver to this in-laws and their passing reduced his overall daily responsibilities. Both maintain close relationships with their siblings and frequently get together with them.

The world around us has many current issues that relate one way or another to family and consumer science. I recently read an article written by Joan R. McFadden and Kay T. Rawson Swan, entitled “Women During Midlife: Is It Transition or Crisis?”. The article talked about how women go through the different stages of menopause also known as mid-life crisis to some. With a mid-life crisis it is stated to involve a feeling of loneliness, a period of wanting to find one’s self in the world, a time to reinvent yourself, to live outside of a woman’s everyday life style, and to experience changes in health and family roles. For many women these statements are said to be true, but not all women are the same.

Television and film do a wonderful job of widowing parents or creating a life so intertwined with their children that is their identity. When we do witness the actions around sexuality and the aging it is almost never serious, often leaving one to think that that the elderly engaging in any sexual contact will prove perverted, dangerous or lethal (Dan Sewell). Much like advertisements for products incite us to buy them, the views of sexuality and senior citizens we see in the media carries into real life, leaving the elderly to be labeled as either asexual or are met with phrases like "dirty old man" or cougar, simply for having a desire that exists within all of us. Being of the community and seeing these perceptions does not make it easy to be open about feelings regarding the topic on any level, exacerbating any existing esteem issues that could be onset of aging (Melanie

The sexuality and reproductive assessment helps describes sexual fulfillment, sexual perception, and sexual self –concepts. (Edelman & Mandel, 2011). This assessment is focused on the satisfaction of one’s sexual life, and the changes that take place throughout a lifespan. Another pattern is the coping-stress tolerance pattern. This focuses on the family’s adaption to internal and external pressures related to their health, environment, and social status and how they cope with these pressures in their day to day lives. Finally, the last pattern is the values and belief pattern. Values and beliefs vary in different cultures. Therefore, the focus of this pattern is one’s attitude regarding the meaning of life, spirituality, and how these attitudes affect the family related health problems. (Edelman & Mandle, 2011).

When asked about their husbands’ reactions to their diagnosis, their answers were more or less the same. Overall, the women reported the men to have shown moderate levels of distress and a substantial minority of the men had distress levels that were clinically elevated. From previous knowledge, men with prostate cancer who have strong masculine gender scripts

There has been conflicting research and advice about the safety of hormones with the increase in the aging female population within the last twenty years (National Institute on Aging). Hormone therapy has demonstrated to be the most effective FDA approved medication in the relief of menopausal symptoms, but these benefits must be weighed against serious adverse effects that hormones can cause. Although many women differ in their response to hormone products, MHT has been universally linked to an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, blood clots, and strokes. Concerns about the findings discovered in the clinical and observation trials performed on MHT, have left some doctors and women hesitant in utilizing MHT to combat menopausal

     During this time, there may be turmoil in the family, marital distress, and general dissatisfaction with our lives. Many people during this time go through what we call the "mid-life crisis". A mid-life crisis may be caused by many different issues. During the early 30’s, the woman’s primary duty is child rearing and may also be pursuing a career. Most men focus on

A.P. is presenting with a variety of clinical signs and symptoms that would be indicative of menopausal transition. She has expressed symptoms such as flushing, hot flushes/flashes, changes in mood and memory as well as the symptom of vaginal atrophy (Buttaro et al., 2017). The disease process of depression can be associated with menopausal transition. Menopausal transition can also incorporate signs of depression concurrent with the diagnosis of hormonal changes (Studd & Panay, 2004). The patient does state she is having difficulty concentrating, however she is reporting hot flashes and not cold intolerance. She does not complain of dry skin or pedal edema, hair loss, bradycardia or delayed tendon reflexes. This is why a provider could clinically

Peri and post-menopause women experience a wide range of menopause symptoms, and their lifestyle patterns and physical, psychological, social and spiritual adaptation directly affecting elderly health improvement are considered crucial. Many middle-aged women worry about losing their womanhood and attractiveness after menopause and may suffer from the physical symptoms of menopause. Women facing postmenopausal changes may experience a sense of richer life by looking at life in a positive perspective as an opportunity. Since postmenopausal women at midlife experience, various problems, and difficulty in adapting to climacteric changes have a direct effect on elderly women's health, health-promoting lifestyle patterns and psychological adaptation have been considered as important issues (Noroozi E, et al. 2013).

Depression in late life is very common, particularly in older adults who are moving in to a different phase of their lives. They may experience a loss of a job, death of a spouse, empty nest, or a move that has taken them away from their social network. Geriatric depression is expensive for everyone involved, from the seniors who suffer not only mentally but physically from its effects to the increased use of health services such as emergency room visits. Suicide is also a consequence of depression in seniors. Sometimes depression is not diagnosed properly because its physical symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Many women, ages 55 and up, experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and do not know what to do now that they are in this new stage in their life; not working etc. Is the women’s group effective in helping members overcome feelings of depression and isolation?

·     Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the function of the ovaries ceases.

Exploring different aspects of yourself in the different areas of life has never been so pertinent. As previously mentioned, there has undoubtedly been a shift of roles when comparing the past to the present. Traditionally speaking, men and women’s roles have been that of providers and nurturers respectively. Although through time, these traditional mentalities have transformed, allowing for more possibilities. Even though men’s roles have altered, women have emancipated themselves from a very narrow view of appropriate social norms and can now enjoy the freedom to choose from an array of roles.

Mitchel and Barnes (2005) note that menopause or peri-menopause has the effect of increasing depressive symptoms or initiating the onset of depressive symptoms. A systematic review of literature on the impact of menopause on the course of bipolar disorder indicate that postmenopausal women reported worsening mood symptoms particularly depression (Mitchel & Barnes, 2005). A study by Dalal and Agarwal (2015) on postmenopausal syndrome found that 75% of women investigated experienced vasomotor symptoms; in some case the symptoms lasted for up to 10 years. The symptoms included hot flushes, emotional lability, difficulty in concentrating and insomnia. The highlighted symptoms are similar to bipolar disorder symptoms.