Mastering Menopause: Women's Voices on Taking Charge of the Change

by Deborah M. Merrill

Overview

Interviews with and case studies of women in the U.S., accompanied by research in this text, show how our perceptions, thoughts, and spiritual practices can help women through menopause without drugs and their potential side effects.

More and more women today are seeking natural ways to cope with menopause, including through mindfulness techniques and Eastern practices such as meditation. Women of various races, ages, and socioeconomic status interviewed at length for this study explain their experiences, victories, and setbacks in their quests to overcome this natural but body- and brain-altering change.

Complementing findings from her research with wider outside research, author Deborah Merrill explains how popular culture depictions, race, class, and education all alter women's perceptions of the meaning of menopause, and how those perceptions can complicate, exacerbate, or alleviate physical and psychological symptoms. She details the "medical view" that views menopause as a problem to be solved, rather than as a natural event. And, through women's words and case studies, she details psychospiritual approaches many are adopting to cope, instead of seeking potentially harmful medicines. Readers will find new insights, wisdom, and potential solutions in the array of voices, experiences, and paths taken and presented in this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440874727
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/02/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	194
File size:	545 KB

About the Author

Deborah M. Merrill, PhD, is professor of sociology at Clark University. She teaches courses on families, medicine, aging, and methods. She is author of four previous books on later life families and intergenerational relationships.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

1 Introduction 1

2 Popular Culture and a History of Treating Menopause 15

3 The Range of Women's Experiences 33

4 The Social Meaning of Menopause and Education 55

5 Black and Latina Women and the Impact of Race 71

6 Changing Bodies, Changing Minds 85

7 Marriage, Sex, and Family Relationships 101

8 Going Deeper: Meditation to Manage Feeling Out of Control 115

9 Conclusion 129

Appendix A Glossary of Menopause-Related Terminology 139

Appendix B Meditations for Working with Difficult Emotions 143

Appendix C Dialogue: When You and Your Spouse Cannot Resolve Conflict 153

Appendix D Resources for Meditation and Mindfulness 163

Notes 165

Bibliography 181

Index 191

What People are Saying About This

Polly Young-Eisendrath Jungian Psychoanalyst and Mindfulness Teacher Author of Love Between Equals

In this book, Deborah Merrill investigates and explores the meaning of menopause in the lives of real women. Drawing on stories of women who have recently transitioned through menopause, and in scientific studies, the author discovers that the women in her study revisit relational traumas, emotional difficulties and disappointments as they move through the physical and mental symptoms. Exploring both the social and the individual constructions of meaning, as well as the relational implications of menopause, Dr. Merrill shows conclusively that practices of mindfulness and loving-kindness, when they are regularly used, permit women to work effectively with their limitations, suffering, and pain during this major life transition. If you have wondered how/why mindfulness might help women with the natural stresses of aging, this book is for you.

Editorial Reviews

Lower-division undergraduates. General readers.” —Choice

From the Publisher