The Pause: Positive Approaches to Premenopause and Menopause by Lonnie Garfield Barbach

The Pause: Positive Approaches to Premenopause and Menopause Reviews

• 
  Em

  Six months post hysterectomy for ovarian cancer and just having finished four months of chemotherapy (which has taken up most of my thoughts of late), my mind is now returning to the surgical early menopause I'm experiencing. As a total book worm, I naturally turn to books for advice - people too, but mainly books! This one does undoubtedly contain a lot of information but I've found other books such as those by
  Sarah Rayne and
  Andrea McLean a bit more friendly and approachable and they have suited me better.
• 
  Marla

  I had nothing to read. My girlfriend had sent me this book and it sat on my shelf for 2 years. What did I need this for, I was only 42 and my doctor said I didn't need to worry about it until I was in my 50's. Being bored helped so I picked up the book figuring "might as well see what to expect..." and two chapters later knew what was going on in my body. Boy let me tell you - it sure was a relief and a big weight off my shoulders (I'd begun to think I was going crazy!)!
  I now know that many women start premenopause symptoms many years BEFORE they are in their 50's. She gives you lots of information on many different forms of help and not just HRT. It is a very easy book to read so there is no excuse to be miserable and make others miserable around you - read this book and get help!
• 
  Liz

  Read in one day traveling to the city. Great overview with lots of alternative medicine suggestions. However, the book hasn’t been updated in 20 years so it’s western medicine sections feel weaker.
• 
  Davida

  Review to come!
  I marked a lot of pages!
• 
  SHIP (formerly The CSPH)

  Menopause catches a pretty bad rap in our culture; if we listen to mainstream pop culture, menopause is a thing to be feared, and avoided at all costs. In reality, menopause is one more thing that some bodies just naturally do. It is a natural process, like digestion, urination, or giving birth. While in all of those processes, most people do just fine, but the few who don’t tend to dominate the stereotypes that fuel our cultural anxiety. In 1993, Lonnie Barbach published one of the first mainstream pop-psychology books about this largely hidden process in an attempt to expose the truths and normalize the experiences of those who find themselves mid-transition. The Pause fully explores the experiences surrounding menopause, including the hormonally tumultuous two to ten years before the actual cessation of menstruation. Lonnie Barbach brings her personal experience as a post-menopausal woman and clinical psychologist to her depictions of the wide range of menopausal experiences while offering a balanced look at the tools available to help individuals navigate the transition.
  
  The book is divided into several sections, with the first two chapters exploring Barbach’s definition and perception of “The Pause” as a natural transitory process. In an attempt to normalize the process, Barbach defines “The Pause” as the entire period of transition rather than a single defining event. Walking the reader through the various experiences an individual might experience during the transition emotionally, physically, and sexually, the second section also provides an overview of hormone replacement therapy as well as other treatments for managing these experiences, such as homeopathy, acupuncture, and herbs. The final section discusses the health risks and preventative measures for osteoporosis and heart disease that face post-menopausal women while also highlighting the benefits of post-menopausal life, such as increased personal awareness and confidence. Finally, the book’s epilogue speaks to men about how to best support the women in their lives who are in the midst of “The Pause.” Despite the gendered language, the epilogue would be useful for any partner of an ovary-owner experiencing menopause who wishes to better understand and support their partner’s transition.
  
  Barbach’s down to earth writing style coupled with personal testimonies of those who have begun or completed the menopausal process makes for an easily relatable read. The use of the “popcorn” analogy to explain the hormonal process that accompanies diminished egg release and the onset of “The Pause” allows for an easy understanding of the physiology behind the menopausal process. She explains that we can imagine eggs as popcorn kernels and hormones as heat. When the heat—or hormones—start intensifying during puberty, kernels—or eggs—start releasing, erratically at first then becoming more consistent as the heat or hormones level out. As fewer kernels or eggs remain, the release starts becoming erratic again, and the heat or hormones intensify to try the remaining eggs to release, resulting in menopause. While the age of the book leaves some of the science outdated, the book nevertheless provides a great resource for women and their partners to better navigate the complexities that can come with menopause.
  
  The Pause would be a good starting place for young ovary-owners who wish to educate themselves about the menopausal experience in order to understand and prepare for this life change. Additionally, The Pause would be a helpful resource for those individuals who have begun to experience peri-menopausal symptoms and seek to understand what is happening with their bodies, or for people who have progressed through menopause and wish to normalize their experience by reading the experiences of others. Unfortunately, this book throughout assumes cis-gendered bodies, correlating ovary ownership to being a woman, and does not consider the menopausal experience for transgendered or intersexed individuals. For those seeking a current review of the science surrounding hormone replacement therapy and other treatment modalities, a more current book might be appropriate. Ultimately, this book would be a great resource for any individual who is looking to better understand the experience of approaching and moving through menopause.
• 
  Lisa

  Great new information and helped me understand what I'm going through. I'm not going crazy yay! I gave it 4 stars because I feel like there wasn't much information about women who've had hysterectomies like myself.
• 
  Taunya

  I found out what I needed to know...it's a shame that when it comes to what happens to us further down the road of our lives is so mysterious.
• 
  erica

  interesting points of view but it is dated and heavy on the HRT. still good to have this extra background info.
• 
  Kelli

  I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
  
  http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12140746
• 
  Mynette

  An eye-opener for me. More so as it seems I am going through the signs - made me understand what I'm going through. My panic level lowered while reading it.
• 
  Janelle V. Dvorak

  Instructive.