Talks - Natural Alternatives at the Menopause

We’re not a culture that deals well with aging - especially not in women. Native American and other cultures honour the older woman, or Crone, as a symbol of wisdom and a source of knowledge. We don’t. Older women who look their age are often viewed as invisible and treated with disrespect. So we eke out the appearance of youth as long as we can, dye our hair, have plastic surgery, get injected with Botox. But none of these things stop the onset of the menopause - which although not often talked about publicly, can be a miserable time for women, bringing night sweats, hot flushes, (‘flashes’ in America), and increasing vagueness. Some women gamely do their best to be upbeat, wearing ‘It’s not a Hot Flash, it’s a Power Surge’ badges. The success of the play The Vagina Monologues got women talking more openly about their bodies. Recently came Menopause the Musical (sub-titled ‘The Hilarious Celebration of Women and the Change’). But actually, being menopausal can be awful. It’s no surprise that millions of women, including famously Edwina Currie, seized upon Hormone Replacement Therapy as a means of reducing the side-effects. But then came the backlash, with the discovery that HRT brings an increased risk of breast cancer. So what can women do? Homeopath Lynne Russell is putting on two free talks for women interested in natural alternatives to HRT, covering nutritional advice, as well as relevant herbal and homeopathic remedies. Lynne regularly runs Menopause Clinics at Southover Grange in Lewes. EC