Is Menopause Chat Fear Mongering or Is It Lighting the Way?

Why honest conversation about menopause is powerful, not fear-mongering and how it can help us feel ready, not rattled

There’s been a lot of menopause chatter lately. Maybe you’ve seen it too. Some people are wondering if all this talk about menopause is overkill. That perhaps it’s creating fear where there shouldn’t be any. I came across a post from Dr Gillian Jackson on Instagram that really got me thinking. She asked:

“Is it just me or is everyone else’s feed also full of the negative aspects of peri/menopause? I get that it creates a sense of community and support but also a sense of impending doom and uncertainty.”

She went on to say that maybe we should be a bit more like Chinese women, who see menopause as an awakening, a fresh start, not something to dread. I loved that sentiment.

But I think we can hold two truths at once.

Here’s how I see it. The menopause chatter isn’t about creating fear. It’s about breaking the silence.

When I first started asking questions in my early forties, I didn’t get much back. The women I asked, my family and friends, didn’t really have the language, or they didn’t understand or remember their own experience enough to guide me.

We’ve live in a culture that kept this part of life quiet. And when things are hidden, they can feel scary.

Thankfully, lately, however, these conversations, events, and media coverage seem to be getting the airtime they never had.

Talking about menopause, sharing our stories, and shining a light on what can happen is how we take that fear away.

Yes, some of the symptoms can be challenging. And yes, it can feel confronting to hear about them. But I believe the more we understand, the more we can prepare, and the more we can advocate for ourselves, the less scary this time becomes.

Like pregnancy, birth, or parenting, talking about the realities doesn’t take away the magic. It helps us navigate it. It gives us tools. And importantly, it helps us know we’re not alone.

Menopause is not a disease. It’s a natural transition.

But it’s a transition in a world that doesn’t always make space for older women, or value their wisdom, or lighten their load. That is what makes it harder than it needs to be, not the hormones but the culture around us.

So yes, let’s embrace the idea of menopause as an awakening. Let’s share the positives. But let’s also keep talking honestly about the hard bits so no woman feels blindsided and every woman feels supported.

Perhaps, if I had been better prepared, I wouldn’t have hit rock bottom so hard and felt so powerless.

Every time we speak up we are not creating fear. We are creating connection. We are enabling empowerment.

And maybe for my daughter and granddaughter, they won’t have to worry because we would have already paved the way for them and done a good job of showing them a better way. Or maybe they will show us!

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Has menopause chat helped you feel more prepared, or has it felt overwhelming at times? Let’s keep the conversation going.