10 Myths Men Believe About Menopause

Does Change of Life Mean Emotional Wreck?

HE SAYS

A woman's menopausal hysteria is in direct proportion to the neuroses she suffered from when she was pre-menopausal.

SHE SAYS

WRONGO, pal. To assume that a woman will be hysterical in menopause simply because you believe she was neurotic beforehand is unwarranted and misguided. It's a fact that for some women, menopause can be relatively placid in the emotional arena. FYI, major factors influencing a woman's emotional and physical passage through the change of life include:

• Personal health and childbearing history
• Health of female ancestors and living female relatives
• Past dietary habits and present diet
• Past and present tobacco use
• Past and present alcohol use
• Self-esteem
• Culture (If you don't believe this, consider the fact that in the United States, about 46 percent of menopausal women try hormone replacement therapy (HRT), while in Japan, only 6 percent do.)