Read. Talk. Grow. Podcast: 30. Feeling the rage of the menopause transition

Episode Summary

For many women, midlife take the shape of a perfect storm: High-stress careers, kids transitioning out of the home, and then an onslaught of (sometimes severe) hormonal symptoms. For the protagonist of “Amazing Grace Adams,” it’s all too much. Author Fran Littlewood explains how her protagonist breaks out of the “good-girl narrative” and unleashes her suppressed rage, with expert menopause insight from Dr. Lisa Larkin. This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.

Episode Notes

Fran Littlewood is the author of the New York Times bestseller, and Read With Jenna Today Show pick, Amazing Grace Adams. The novel, her debut, will be translated into thirteen languages, and has been optioned for television. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London, and before that, worked as a journalist, including a stint at The Times. She lives in London with her husband and their three daughters.

Dr. Lisa Larkin is a board-certified internist and midlife women’s health expert. Considered a national expert in menopause management, sexual medicine, breast cancer risk assessment, prevention and genetics, Dr. Larkin is Founder and CEO of Ms.Medicine, a national health care organization dedicated to advancing women’s health on a broader scale through innovation in care delivery models and consumer and clinician education through a weekly virtual education platform, ProvidHERS. She is also Founder and President of Concierge Medicine of Cincinnati, an independent, multispecialty practice.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• Shame around symptoms. Symptoms can be severe and life-altering. Sometimes it feels like bodily aging changes come overnight. But many people don’t talk about these symptoms because they’re ashamed of them. They may not realize these symptoms are due to menopause — or if they do, they may be dismissed by their healthcare providers when they try to get treatment.
• Feeling the rage. The book starts with Grace getting out of her car, abandoning it, deciding to walk across London, and letting out all her rage. We discuss how menopause can come with all sorts of mood disturbances: rage, anxiety, depression.
• Seeking relief. Many women feel much better after the waves of perimenopause — but we talk about effective treatments that can help in the meantime. 

Can't get enough?

Purchase “Amazing Grace Adams.”

• From Bookshop.org.
• From Amazon.
• From Barnes & Noble.

Learn more about menopause:

• The Mayo Clinic Press book, “The New Rules of Menopause.”

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This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.