COGNITIVE Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is another approach that's being used to ease menopause symptoms. "No, this doesn’t mean they are all in your mind," assures Warrington-based Emma Persand, a nurse and CBT specialist.
CBT is a way of helping people tackle problems by changing the way they think about them.
It’s free of any side-effects, suitable for everyone and is recommended by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) as an alternative menopause treatment.
CBT can have a biological and physical effect by changing our thought process.
Our brains tend to catastrophise situations. A woman experiencing a hot flush in public may initially panic, then feel self-conscious and then, convinced everyone is looking at her, ashamed – when, actually, most of the time no-one notices.
CBT techniques, which aim to reprogramme your response to menopausal symptoms, can be taught in one-to-one or Skype sessions, and many women notice an improvement within four weeks.
A study conducted by Professor Myra Hunter, from the Institute of Psychiatry, and Dr Melanie Smith, a clinical psychologist, on behalf of the British Menopause Society produced startling results.
Menopausal women who practised CBT reported a reduction in symptoms, improved mood and sleep, and better social functioning.
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