Hormones, Women & Stress--Okay, about that hormonal thing:
By award-winning author and stress-relief expert Susie Mantell
Q: Dear Susie, I am so stressed. I*ve been feeling so sad, stressed and irritable. It*s not PMS, but sure feels like it. Could it be hormones anyway?
A: Oh, the complex realm of influence our hormones have upon functions of our bodies, minds, and. . . spirits. You didn*t mention age, which can be significant, but women of any age may experience physical and emotional symptoms associated with hormonal shifts. The only way to be sure is to have your ob/gyn do have blood work. Throughout peri-menopause (which can span 10 or more years, you might not be menopausal per se, yet notice subtle changes. Whatever your age, go talk with your doctor to explore what might be happening. Your stress and depression could be coming from somewhere else altogether. Anything going on at home? At work? A relationship? A change in medications or exercise routine? There are all kinds of accompaniments to the tune, *I Enjoy Being A Girl.* But there is also real help available both in conventional and integrative healing practices. Unquestionably, men have their own *guy stuff* to deal with, but it*s quite a trail we women travel across the peaks and valleys of The Hormonal Range. Some women experience mood or weight fluctuations at
various stages of their monthly cycle -- and life cycle. Some crave salt or chocolate, get clumsy, overly-sensitive. Others become keenly intuitive. Some indigenous tribes provided a communal hut for women in their *moon time,* not as a shunning; rather to honor their heightened intuitive wisdom. Often women emerged sharing insights that would help to guide, even preserve, the tribe. Several medications, supplements, herbs and healing arts may diminish symptoms of hormonal shifts. Ask your doctor what might be right for you.
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Award-winning stress-relief expert Susie Mantell ...is the author of the deeply soothing relaxation CD, "Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace,” clinically approved for symptoms associated with stress and sleeplessness, depression and grief, anxiety, P.T.S.D., Fibromyalgia, caregiver stress, cancer, pain, divorce and addiction recovery. Featured in The Los Angeles Times, NBC, ABC, CBS-TV, Town & Country, The American Pain Society, Hazelden and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, listeners include The Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, The Betty Ford Center, V.A. Hospitals,and Canyon Ranch (#1 Spa.) Customizing stress-reduction for Fortune 500 companies, distinguished hospitals and spas, Mantell has facilitated thousands in relieving health-related, work-related, chronic or traumatic stress. Her multi-sensory, mind-body techniques appear in national media, medical and corporate publications. Susie Mantell's Stress-Relief & Wellness Tips are intended as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, professional health care. Order “Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace” and find more of Mantell’s stress-relief tips at www.relaxintuit.com