Today’s special guest is debut writer Annie Cardone to chat with me about her women’s self-help, Menopause WTH! (what the hell).
Bio:
Annie Cardone is the Author of Menopause WTH! She is a campaigner for Human Rights with a focus on Women’s health and wellness. Menopause WTH! was researched over a ten-year period by Annie who went through hormone hell and back again during IVF and then again in menopause. She discovered that stress and high cortisol were the biggest factor in exacerbating menopause symptoms that affected her physical and mental health.
With insomnia as her dominant symptom causing sleep psychosis Annie was hospitalized and sent to a psychiatric wards several times during peri-menopause. Her diagnosis was based on the symptoms of sleep psychosis caused by rapid hormone depletion. When given Ambien a sleep medication the side effects caused hallucinations and even more insomnia. Not one doctor mentioned menopause could be a factor.
Her harrowing account of this time shines a light on the treatment of women during menopause who are frequently referred to psychiatry rather than getting the help they need at this vulnerable time of life. Finding out that the health of the uterus and the health of the mind is intimately linked and connected through hormones was the beginning of an uplifting journey to health and wellness.
What inspired you to write this book?
Having suffered a violent and abusive childhood and subsequent relationships I realized I had to go back to the past to make sense of the present when I hit rock bottom during menopause. I knew nothing of self-love and self-care and that was the missing piece of the puzzle during peri-menopause. During this time, I ran myself into the ground taking care of everyone else in my life, just like so many other women. My lack of knowledge about menopause and the endocrine system and how rapid hormone depletion impacts our physical, mental and emotional health was made even more confusing by my doctor’s lack of knowledge adding even more confusion into the mix.
Misdiagnosis of peri-menopause almost destroyed my life. I had to learn how to get back to health and wellness fast to survive. My ah-ha moment was discovering the word Uterus is Greek for hysteria. When I found this out things started to make more sense to me.
I met so many other women suffering from the same issues in hospital. A wife of a close friend killed herself during menopause after being put on lithium and he never forgave himself because he did not know how to help her or what she was dealing with. Men are just as lost as women on this subject. This book details the reality facing the women who are being taken advantage of at this time of life by pharmaceutical giants. It is a $600 billion dollar industry. We are the ones who remain silent due to the shame and stigma in the aftermath. If this is happening in educated countries such as the USA and UK then what chances do women have in other countries who are less fortunate and get no support or care at all.
In my book I give sensible, practical solutions to overwhelm during menopause. This is a time in life where women are stretched to the hilt with losing parents, health issues, finances, older children that are struggling, dealing with the physical menopause symptoms, relationship break ups and work stress. My book explains menopause in simple terms and brings knowledge and understanding on what we need to change to make life go right during this time.
Excerpt from Menopause WTH!:
Chapter 1 Menopause: A Unique Journey
Have you ever felt that you are crazy, out of control, over- reactive, impatient, moody, unbalanced, constantly exhausted, stressed out, overwhelmed, anxious, neurotic, lonely and depressed? You are not alone. Welcome to the joys of the endocrine system and your hormones, which can be your best friend and your worst enemy in exactly the same moment. Although so many women experience menopause differently, we all share one thing in common and that is the fact that you cannot avoid it. In some way or another it will impact our lives and the lives of those we love. It is staggering how much data has been written about it yet there is one thing that seems to be touched on least of all and that is the impact it has on your mind, emotions and reactions to everyday life.
If you had told me eight years ago what lay ahead, I would have never believed it. I went from being a happy, hard-working, energetic, fun-loving person to someone who was unrecognisable. It was as if I literally woke up one day and I was different and the world around me had completely changed and not for the better. This book covers some basic facts about menopause that we all assume everyone knows but you would be surprised if you knew that was not the case. Due to the fact that I had such little information about the endocrine system, left me vulnerable to the judgement and viewpoint of others. I obviously knew menopause affected a woman physically, but I was seriously looking forward to my menstrual cycle disappearing and was going to welcome a few hot flashes as a trade-off. No one told me or warned me of the impact it would have on my mind. Life was never going to be the same again and I just did not see it coming.
What exciting story are you working on next?
A new book about dating and relationships. It focuses on why so many women put their men first and lose themselves at great cost. Packed with solutions on when and how to exit quietly and calmly or stay and improve the situation. It is titled Relationships WTH! I Love You But I Love Me More. Again it is very much about self-love.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I still do not believe I am gifted at all as a writer. I just believe I have an interesting story to tell that might help other women based on my own experiences.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I write as a hobby and work full time in the hospitality industry for motorsport. I wrote my book during lock down and now I write in the evenings and weekends. I also spend my holiday time booking cute cottages and take my dog on a writing week in the Cotswolds or to the seaside.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I am pretty blunt and sometimes add humor to a horrible situation to soften the blow but mainly I am a fixer and always have a solution. I do not just pontificate on the problem. I give tools for women to use and apply to their life immediately to make significant changes.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Safe and alive. Surviving a childhood of domestic violence left me longing to be out of fear and at peace.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I am not a medical professional who has written a book about menopause filled with confusing terms and information, as there are already plenty of those out there that I have already read. Instead, I have written my memoir and weaved it into the book as it illustrates how I came to be in such a challenging position during menopause. The theme of self-care runs through each chapter as I document the lessons learned from my interactions and experiences.
I see myself as someone who wants to inspire, uplift and give hope when there is nothing left to lose.