Every woman who reaches ‘middle age’ will experience menopause, the average age for reaching menopause in the UK is 51 but women can experience symptoms of perimenopause for an extended period of time beforehand.
Because perimenopause is a time where hormone levels fluctuate wildly, symptoms will vary and change. Common symptoms include sore swollen breasts, lowered libido, heavy bleeding, hot flushes, night sweats, lowered mood, anxiety and sleep disturbances. After menopause hot flushes and night swats are still common, affecting ¾ of post-menopausal women, with 1 in 3 women finding the disruption severely bothersome.
Clinical hypnotherapy has been shown to be effective in reducing hot flashes. Randomised, controlled trials of clinical hypnosis demonstrated the approach was significantly better than a “structured attention” therapy approach in postmenopausal women with frequent hot flashes and more effective than acupuncture, herbal supplements and yoga.
The effects of menopause can be severe and can lead to women leaving their jobs because of the upheaval of the symptoms. To combat this, the West Midlands Police have brought in a hypnotherapist to work with women who are going through the change.
In sessions with a hypnotherapist, a woman with unwanted menopausal symptoms can learn to use simple techniques to manage their reaction to things like hot flushes. You;ll learn to identify your triggers and be given practical information on how to avoid them.
During hypnosis sessions you may be asked to imagine stepping into a cool sea or feeling a cool breeze and then coached in self-hypnosis so that you can learn to visualise that same body-cooling sensation when hot flushes strike in everyday life, leading to actual relief of symptoms.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) has 1800 highly trained and qualified therapists on its register of UK therapists who can assist you in this transition of life. Contact one today and enjoy some cooling relief.