Menopause Advocate case study
Elise Mitchell
“I signed up for the Menopause Advocate Programme, as I recently found myself to be in perimenopause. However, I didn’t know that was what it was until I read a Facebook post written by a lady who used to compete in ‘Iron Man’ competitions and had suddenly found herself unable to run, let alone compete. I had been a keen runner, having completed several half and full marathons, but suddenly found that my stamina and motivation had deserted me, and I was unable to complete even a Parkrun. It really was a ‘lightbulb moment’ reading this lady’s post, as everything she said I could have written myself. I had no idea that the never-ending symptoms I found myself experiencing were down to a shift in my hormones. I had consulted my GP a few times with these symptoms, but was told that at 47, I was too young to be going through the menopause and was just sent away with anti-depressants.
Menopause Advocate case study
“From this, I decided to research perimenopause (which I didn’t even know existed before the Facebook post) and I learned a lot about the biopsychosocial elements and how it affected women as a whole. I also researched HRT, dispelled some of the myths I had previously believed and, therefore, had some knowledge before embarking on the Menopause Advocate course.
“Having worked in Primary Care for 22 years, and through my own experience, I realised there was a large gap in knowledge and care provision for women at this stage of life. I saw the course as a way of helping to bridge the gap, and to assist my more senior colleagues providing a more holistic package of care for both patient and staff.”
“Having completed the course, I now have the confidence to speak with patients and members of staff who are struggling with symptoms, and I am able to signpost them to various organisations where they can seek help, or just provide them with a listening ear and help to reassure them that they’re not alone. I have also approached one of the GPs who has a special interest in women’s health about providing regular menopause clinics within the surgery, and it’s something we are going to work on in the near future.
“Peri- and post-menopause is something that affects not only the women experiencing it, but can also impact their family, friends and colleagues. I would definitely recommend this course as a way of raising awareness in the workplace, and helping to reassure and educate women at this stage of their life and to help bring them some hope (and to not have to rely on social media posts to realise what’s happening!).”
Contact Elise at, elise.mitchell1@nhs.net
