FREIDA: In the Age of Menopause

What is Menopause? Menopause is a time that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles. It is usually diagnosed when she has gone 12 months without a period. Menopause can happen when a woman is 40 and even 50, but the average age is in the 50s – about 51. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/symptoms-causes Menopause is a natural biological process. And symptoms associated with menopause include the following – hot flashes, increased appetite, weight gain and most of this weight collects in the stomach and waistline. And she is more prone to feeling anxiety. Often, the menopausal woman is emotional and moody and takes things out on those she loves…even when she doesn’t mean to. To compound these disruptive symptoms secondary to menopause, there is a strong awareness of the aging process Not 80, but absolutely…no longer 18. The menopausal woman falls somewhere in-between. It is important to note that symptoms are not all inclusive with menopause…this is because all women experience the Change of life in different ways. And of these differences, some go through a worse time than others. Many years ago, when I went through menopause…I needed to find an outlet for all the chaos that was swimming around in my psyche. And also…in my body. So, I created Freida. Freida is me – post-menopausal but with Major attitude. Her character was the strength I needed to have, to get through menopause. The more I drew pictures of my menopausal character and gave her dialogue and placed her in new locations, with loyal friends, and lots of romance; the more comfort I found in getting through those difficult changes in my own life. Through Freida, I began to explore the possibilities in the world, and I grew stronger in my awareness of the soul and of how important it was to like who I was…even though I was no longer young. Or trim. Or toned. Or a perfect size 6. In my mind…I can clearly see the menopausal woman and she is a woman with a renewed sense of adventure, power, and style, and she has become a contented, lone traveler while she is out and about. She is more fearless. She cares less about what others think about her. And unbelievably, she feels more comfortable in her own skin even if it does not look so great at times. Because of years of experience and living life, in her own right…the menopausal woman is now a force to be reckoned with. Deeply satisfied. And most capable. And after reading this book, I hope you will discover that Freida is a big part of all menopausal women. Enjoy! —- ISBN: 9798877191952