Classes help sort menopause myth, fact

BANGOR – Menopause: Want some help sorting it all out? Are you or someone you know entering “peri-menopause?” Do you have questions about hot flashes, mood swings and insomnia? Do you wonder where they get the “pause” in menopause when your menses are closer together rather than farther apart? Those questions and many others will be answered at the eight-week series, Talking About Menopause, at the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center.

Practitioners at the center say they have seen that the natural process of menopause has been “overmedicalized” with women being treated as if they have a disease. In contrast to mothers and grandmothers of yesterday, who lacked accurate facts about their bodies and about menopause, women today face an overwhelming volume of information. The advent of the Internet and the extensive marketing of menopause “cures” can cause confusion. And society’s emphasis on youthfulness can lead to negative feelings and fear. It doesn’t have to be that way, officials said.

The menopause series will offer a wide variety of information and advice ranging from hormone replacement therapy to herbal remedies; from nutrition and other lifestyle issues to massage therapy and self-care. The information will be offered as a menu of choices for women to consider, and then to make their own decisions about their own health care.

The schedule is:

. Sept. 28, Terry Marley-DeRosier, nurse practitioner, “Menopause: An Open Discussion.” Send questions with your registration.

. Oct. 5, Bobbi Jeffrey-Gant, massage therapist, “Promoting Wellness through Therapeutic Bodywork and Massage.”

. Oct. 12, Katherine O. Musgrave, dietitian and professor emeritus, “Food for Fun: Even in Menopause.”

. Oct. 19, Donna Kraft-Smith, massage therapist, “Natural Home Remedies for Menopause and Family Health Care.”

. Oct. 26, Vernita Leins, massage therapist, “Connecting with the Peaceful Self.”

. Nov. 2, Barbara Higgins, nurse practitioner, “Bladder Control in Midlife.”

. Nov. 9, Robin Long and Carol Roberts, “Bone Health and the Benefits of Exercise.”

. Nov. 16, Ruth Lockhart. “Menopause Through Society’s Eyes: Why Do We Feel This Way?”

Sessions will be held 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 28-Nov. 16, at Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, 420 Evergreen Woods. Suggested donation is $10 per session, or $65 for the eight- week series. Everyone is welcome to attend. Pay what you can, and attend even if you can’t pay. Pre-registration is required. To register or to obtain more information, call Cindy at 947-5337, Ext. 105, or e-mail info@mabelwadsworth.org.