Mastering Menopause

Interviews with and case studies of women in the U.S., accompanied by research in this text, show how our perceptions, thoughts, and spiritual practices can help women through menopause without drugs and their potential side effects. More and more women today are seeking natural ways to cope with menopause, including through mindfulness techniques and Eastern practices such as meditation. Women of various races, ages, and socioeconomic status interviewed at length for this study explain their experiences, victories, and setbacks in their quests to overcome this natural but body- and brain-altering change. Complementing findings from her research with wider outside research, author Deborah Merrill explains how popular culture depictions, race, class, and education all alter women's perceptions of the meaning of menopause, and how those perceptions can complicate, exacerbate, or alleviate physical and psychological symptoms. She details the "medical view" that views menopause as a problem to be solved, rather than as a natural event. And, through women's words and case studies, she details psychospiritual approaches many are adopting to cope, instead of seeking potentially harmful medicines. Readers will find new insights, wisdom, and potential solutions in the array of voices, experiences, and paths taken and presented in this book.

Deborah M. Merrill is Associate Professor of Sociology at Clark University. Her areas of specialization are families, aging, medicine, and research methodology. Her previous book with Greenwood Publishing Group is Caring for Elderly Parents: Juggling Work, Family and Caregiving in Middle and Working Class Families (Auburn House, 1997).

Acknowledgments
ONE Introduction
TWO Popular Culture and a History of Treating Menopause
THREE The Range of Women's Experiences
FOUR The Social Meaning of Menopause and Education
FIVE Black and Latina Women and the Impact of Race
SIX Changing Bodies, Changing Minds
SEVEN Marriage, Sex, and Family Relationships
EIGHT Going Deeper: Meditation to Manage Feeling Out of Control
NINE Conclusion
Appendix A Glossary of Menopause-Related Terminology
Appendix B Meditations for Working with Difficult Emotions
Appendix C Dialogue: When You and Your Spouse Cannot Resolve Conflict
Appendix D Resources for Meditation and Mindfulness
Notes
Bibliography
Index