I’m 42 and in the beginning stages of perimenopause now and I have a friend who is 10 years older than me who has been in perimenopause for a few years now. We chat about it a lot with another friend who is younger, but she still wants to be informed. None of our mothers ever talked about perimenopause or menopause, they just suffered in silence and we are trying to change that.

The emotional swings are no fucking joke! I’m not one who gets upset at much, but my anger and rage gets pretty crazy when my cycle is about to start. This is new for me and one of the signs I’m getting into perimenopause because I am not a person who rages at minor issues. Thankfully, I can recognize it and I control my reactions most of the time.

I don’t hear it talked about often, but vertigo is also a symptom. My vertigo episodes aren’t frequent and usually only during specific activities, so it’s not a big issue at this time. I typically get vertigo when I park my car on a slight incline; when the car settles into park, it feels like the entire car is rolling away and I have to sit and stare at a fixed point until it passes. Thankfully, it only lasts a few seconds but it is noticeable.

I recommend looking into a few books that you may be able to pick up at your library.

• Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter, her books are really informative. I love that her writing comes from a place of women’s health and does not center around pregnancy. I’m buying this one for both of my friends and myself.
• An Idiot’s Guide to Perimenopause, I know the idiot’s guide books are sometimes looked at as silly, however this one has a lot of good information that is easy to find. Since so many generations before us only thought of menopause as a problem, it’s good to have a source that is easy to follow.