Stop Treating Menopause Like It’s a Disease- It’s Not!
Lately I have been seeing so much online about perimenopause- women upset that there isn’t a single test that can tell them that they are in menopause, people complaining that there aren’t treatments for this conditions, but here is the thing-
Menopause is not a disease.
Perimenopause is not an illness.
They are normal transitions and a normal part of healthy human existence.
And guess what? You have already lived through a major hormonal transition before—and you survived it, and no one called that an illness.
You’ve Done This Before: Puberty as Proof
Puberty was a massive hormonal shift.
Your body changed.
Your emotions changed.
Your sense of self changed.
Your relationship to your body and the world changed.
For some people, puberty was relatively smooth.
For others, it was painful, chaotic, confusing, or deeply uncomfortable with acne, weight gain, painful menses, joint pain, and more.
And yet—we don’t call puberty a disease.
We don’t diagnose it.
We don’t pathologize it.
We recognize it as a developmental transition that deserves support.
Perimenopause and menopause belong in that same category.
There is no single test for puberty.
There is no “treatment” for puberty.
There is support.
Education.
Lifestyle changes.
Nervous system regulation.
Nutrition.
Hormonal awareness.
Reassurance that what’s happening makes sense.
Perimenopause works the same way.
If your body is hormonally responsive to ovarian cycling—and assuming no surgical, genetic, or medical interruption—this transition is a predictable part of the human life arc.
That doesn’t mean everyone experiences it the same way.
Biology is nuanced. Genetics matter. Stress matters. Culture matters.
But difficulty does not equal disease.
Why Menopause Feels So Hard in the U.S.
Some of the current confusion comes from a good place.
For most of medical history, people with ovaries were excluded from research. Hormones were considered inconvenient variables. Symptoms were minimized, dismissed, or framed as psychological.
So yes—it’s important that we’re finally talking about perimenopause and menopause.
It’s important that people understand what’s happening in their bodies.
It’s important that support exists and these conversations happen.
But we need to be careful not to replace silence with fear.
Physician and herbalist Dr. Aviva Romm has spoken about how, in many cultures, menopause is considered a status upgrade—a transition into elderhood, authority, and wisdom. In those cultures, menopausal symptoms are often reported as less severe or less disruptive.
Is that because symptoms don’t exist?
Or because the meaning assigned to the transition changes the experience?
In the U.S., aging—especially for people socialized as women—is framed as something to fight.
We’re taught:
Youth equals value
Fertility equals worth
Aging equals loss
That belief alone can dysregulate the nervous system and amplify symptoms.
I recently had a client tell me she was terrified of losing her period. Terrified of aging. Willing to do almost anything to maintain her cycle indefinitely.
And while I absolutely support hormone health—cycling hormones are protective for the brain and bones—there is also grief and cultural conditioning embedded in that fear, which is simply not ok! I want you to go into your elder years feeling like a Queen (or a bog witch with a whole set of lore if that is more your style- I know I looking forward to my bog witch era!)
A Note on Perspective
I also want to be transparent about where I’m speaking from.
I’m in my thirties. I am not currently in perimenopause or menopause. This is not my lived, embodied experience yet.
What I bring instead is:
Years of clinical experience working with people actively moving through this transition
Deep conversations with friends, colleagues, and mentors who are in it
Training in acupuncture, herbal medicine, hormonal physiology, and nervous system regulation
And a perspective that allows me to zoom out and see patterns—not just moments of crisis
That distance doesn’t replace lived experience—but it does allow for clarity in a space that is currently very loud and often very fear-based.
Support Doesn’t Mean Pathology
Just because menopause isn’t a disease doesn’t mean people should suffer. Menopause shouldn’t be painful, disruptive or make you feel like you are going crazy all the time, and there are tools to help you feel more normal.
Support can include:
Hormone replacement therapy (when appropriate)
Herbal medicine
Nutrition and blood sugar regulation
Nervous system and stress support
Lifestyle and sleep interventions
Acupuncture, which can be profoundly supportive for hormonal transitions
The goal isn’t to “fix” menopause.
The goal is to support the body through change.
Whether You’re in the Midst of it—or Just Starting to Think About It
If your body is hormonally responsive and you live long enough, this transition will happen.
That doesn’t mean something has gone wrong.
It doesn’t mean your body is failing.
It doesn’t mean you’re broken.
You’ve already moved through one major hormonal transition.
Puberty reshaped your body and identity—and you made it through.
Perimenopause and menopause are another chapter in that same story.
And here’s the important part:
If you’re in the thick of perimenopause or menopause, now is the time to get support so you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through it.
If you’re in your 30s and not there yet, this is exactly the time to be working on hormone health so this transition is steadier when it arrives.
If you’re seeing menopause everywhere online and feeling anxious, education and proactive support change everything.
Ready for Support?
I work with people at all stages of hormonal transition—from cycle regulation and nervous system support in your 20s & 30s to navigating perimenopause and menopause with more ease and understanding.
If you want individualized support, you can schedule an appointment to work with me directly.
And if you’re looking to go deeper, I’ll soon be offering a hormone education program designed to help you understand your hormones, support them naturally, and move through transitions with more confidence and less fear. Sign up for my newsletter to stay in touch for when this class launches.
Menopause is not a disease.
It’s a transition.
And transitions deserve care—not panic.
