While I appreciate the truth of your list of things not to do when having menopausal moments in the workplace, the question is, why should we women have to pretend we are not going through the most profound chemical change of our lives since adolescence?

I could no more control my tears at work than at home or the grocery store. My tears were out of control, even while taking hormone replacements. I lost tens of thousands of dollars in freelance work during the five years when the symptoms were in full force.

The goal of an awareness campaign might better be to help others accept our tears and hot flashes as a natural and acceptable part of the process of life, rather than to teach menopausal women how to keep their symptoms hidden.

Shall we not join together as a group to normalize menopause?

I am a 53 year old civil servant with great appraisals.  I have been going through menopause for about 2 years.  I would take anti-depressants on and off when I thought I needed them (did not know this could make you worse.).  Well, after having enouph of a young attactive 34 year old female with a new boob job, and overhearing comments made about me (the only older lady in the office) needless to say I sorta "lost it" and told them what I thought.  I had been suffering from anxiety and depression plus mood swings for a while.  Well, I was fired.  When I submitted proof of what can happen when a women goes through menopause - no one cared.  They said I was a threat to sociaty and could not risk me assaulting anyone.  This was so humiliating.  This is a medical, hormonal episode that I could not help - honestly.  But know one cares and no one will listen.  I emailed Dr. Phil, Oprah, to try to fiind someone help me fight this but I don't know where to turn for legal help.  I am fighting a State and I guess all the attorney's are afraid to help me.  Can anyone suggest a good organization who will listen to me and help my fight for all menopausal women so another one will not get fired. 

Anonymous

10/25/10 12:19pm

I was just fired recently from a 11yr 7mo job. My boss fired me after a blow up that another co-worker said was directed at her and it wasn't it was all on the heels of situations that my boss would not take care of in the office that I asked her numerous times to "please take care of" and made a formal complaint to our corporate office when she felt "we didn't need to go down that road" in short, after that formal complaint I was given the cold shoulder by everyone and information that I needed to do my job productively was kept from me. I was fired after that blow up which happened on Friday and was called in on Monday and let go. These are my boss' exact words. "I don't know what happened on Friday but YOU are not happy here and you need to go and find whatever it is that is going to make you happy so I am letting you go....she turned away and than looked at me again and said in an angry tone of voice...."DID YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR" I looked at her with a stange look than looked over at our plant manger (who is a male by the way) and than realized what she was talking about. I said "I can't afford to go to the doctor" and she said "you can't afford to loose your job and you just did"

Months prior to that on several occations she had said to me that maybe I should go to the Doctor...maybe it's hormones. I have not seeked legal council yet and have no documentation of her saying that to me. But do have a witness that asked me if I went to the doctor? After she fired me I felt she had not right to know if I have went to the doctor or not and should not have been brought up infront of our MALE plant manager. She humiliated me infront of him and insinuated that the reason I lost my job is because I hadn't went to the doctor. Any advice?