A large percentage of women can begin experiencing symptoms of perimenopause even before the actual state is expected to set in. And if you're a woman who experiences these symptoms, you're showing early signs of menopause.
Old adage declares that the earlier a woman started to have her monthly period, the earlier would be her menopausal stage. But until now, there is no hard evidence that can support this old but widely held belief.
In general, the menopausal stage occurs when she reaches 45 up to 55 years of age, a stage where the ovulation process ceases, or what is commonly known as monthly period or cycle.
With the exemption of operation and any other medical-related factors, early signs of menopause can be detected by observing the following:
Irregular periods. Periods can be very heavy and in a shorter cycle, or in some cases, light but prolonged periods. When an individual experiences an irregularity in her monthly cycle, which is previously unobservable, this can perhaps signal the early onset of menopause.
Mood swings. Women's propensity to change their mind, if ever this true, or their emotional roller coaster is directly related to these hormonal changes. There is a possibility that even younger women would experience mood swings during their monthly cycles, but if this became prolonged and frequent, something is amiss.
Health experts are also united that an initial loss or decrease in sexual desire can be a strong indicator of menopausal stage. The hormonal change can wreak havoc to the sexual desire of an individual.
Difficulty in sleeping. When simply getting a good nights sleep is now an effort, with the absence of other factors such as diseases or personal problems, the menopausal stage could finally be setting in.
Dry skin and/or hair loss. If an individual is not undergoing medication for some disease, or had not undergone an operation and yet, hair loss is apparent, this can only mean that a hormonal change is activated. For a woman, hormonal change can almost always means that she's showing the early signs of menopause.
Other early signs related to the setting in of menopause are: hot flashes, night sweats, or coldness while sleeping; incontinence specially in the morning; vaginal dryness; weight loss, and other discomforts that are not present earlier in a woman's life.
Despite signs of the discomfort before finally setting in, a woman need not fear the menopausal stage. In fact, this is a stage in her life wherein the burden of being a woman, that is, the monthly period and childbearing, is suddenly a thing of the past. Not that the childbearing and childrearing don't have their own happy moments, but this is a time in a woman's life when she can transfer her energies into being a woman of her own creation.
A coaching conversation is founded on asking questions. In my view, the more trust there is between coach and coachee the more likely it is that such questions will unveil the true nature of the problem being addressed through coaching. In some cases this might mean that a psychological condition is revealed and it is therefore my advice that managers who coach develop at least a broad understanding of the main indicators of what is known as abnormal psychology. Consider for example, that most commonly diagnosed form of mental disorder; thought to affect about 1% of the population at some point - schizophrenia.
It is a popular misconception that schizophrenia means a split personality. This is not true. It is actually a generic term for a group of psychotic disorders characterized by disturbance of personality, loss of contact with reality and so on.
Let's look at how the condition might be described and the symptoms one might expect to be present.
Firstly we'll consider Schneider's first rank symptoms (1959):
Thought Disturbances:
Typical symptoms under this heading include Word Salad - bizarre verbal association and Clang Associations - linking words by sound rather than meaning
Auditory Hallucinations:
This is the classic "I heard voices", where the sufferer believes some external force is directing them to do something over which they have no control.
Primary Delusions:
Delusions are misrepresentations of what most people would regard as the reality of situations. Common schizophrenic delusions include:
Delusions of influence - the sufferer believes they are being manipulated by external forces Delusions of grandeur - e.g. "I am Jesus" Delusions of persecution - "The secret services are after me", i.e. paranoia
Next let's consider the symptoms outlined by Slater and Roth (1969):
Disturbance of Affect:
Here the schizophrenic exhibits emotions that are clearly inappropriate for the situation e.g. giggling on receipt of bad news
Psychomotor Disorders:
Including odd hand gestures, twitching and peculiar facial expressions
Lack of Volition:
Those that suffer from schizophrenia often have trouble maintaining a normal day to day life. They can have difficulty with even simple activities and can often become withdrawn and reclusive.
Schizophrenia is a term that has perhaps become rather confused at the hands of thriller writers and satirists. In truth it represents an horrendous burden for sufferers and their families both of whom deserve our sympathy.
It is unlikely that the coaching manager would be the first to stumble upon such symptoms, but it is not unheard of. Schizophrenia sufferers may well be able to carry on in their job roles with perhaps some minor adjustments or be moved to other duties. A coaching approach to communication amongst the colleagues of the newly diagnosed schizophrenia sufferer should also prove a sensitive way to enable everybody to adjust.
Some studies indicate that schizophrenia - like many abnormal psychological conditions - can be triggered or exacerbated by stress, and work is the most common arena for experiencing stress these days. We coaches may be in a very good position to notice early signs of stress and where it might lead.
Both Isabel Baldry & Matt Somers are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Isabel Baldry has sinced written about articles on various topics from Science, How to Sell on Ebay and Home Improvement. Isabel Baldry is a freelance writer who writes passionately about a number of subjects. Learn more about here.. Isabel Baldry's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
Matt Somers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Power of Coaching, Career Change and Depression Cure. Matt Somers has been training managers as coaches since 1996. His learning and experience in this field have resulted in two excellent books, Coaching at Work (2006) and Instant Manager: Coaching (2008) For further FREE resources, please visit:. Matt Somers's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.