Mid-Life Transition/Menopause

Mid-life transition is something that happens to many of us at some point during our lives--often, but not always around ages of 40-50. It is a natural process and a normal part of maturing. However, it can feel very uncomfortable, and you can experience a wide range of feelings while it is happening, such as:

	Discontent with life and/or the lifestyle that may have provided happiness for many years
	Boredom with things/people that have hitherto held great interest and dominated your life
	Feeling adventurous and wanting to do something completely different
	Questioning the meaning of life, and the validity of decisions clearly and easily made years before
	Confusion about who you are, or where your life is going.

These feelings at mid-life can occur naturally, or result from some significant loss or change, such as the death of a parent or divorce. Coming to terms with such loss or change can be difficult enough, but when it is complicated by mid-life transition, the process can seem bewildering and overwhelming.

The therapeutic process focuses on understanding the various components and stages of mid-life transition. Seeing the process broken down in that way helps some people to move from thinking that "there is something wrong with me" to seeing that the feelings and changes associated with mid-life are quite natural. In fact, they are experienced by most other people at a similar stage of life. Recognizing the stages can help to make sense of what is otherwise chaos and confusion.

In the end, the goal is help the person in mid-life transition to recognize and integrate the conflicts that exist within themselves, and achieving a balance between those conflicts. Examples of such conflicts include:

	Accepting the authority of others versus taking authority over our own lives
	Presenting your "outer self" to the world versus acting, thinking and speaking in harmony with the inner self
	Meeting the demands of others versus meeting our own inner needs
	Acknowledging those aspects of our personality that we find unacceptable versus living up to our ideals

A more mature, balanced, rounded and. ultimately, happier person can result. Brenda is currently "in the throws" of Menopause Madness and will be able to relate to your concerns with understanding, empathy and humor!