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Women often assume they are stressed, depressed, or simply exhausted from life demands (Photo: Gemini)
For many women, the body rarely announces perimenopause with clarity. Instead, it arrives in fragments: a restless night here, an emotional outburst there, a skipped period, a sudden wave of anxiety, or a fatigue that sleep cannot fix. Slowly, the familiar version of self begins to feel unfamiliar, yet most women do not recognise it at first.
Psychologist Dr Leah Ngari says perimenopause is one of the most misunderstood stages in a woman’s life. She explains it as the transitional phase before menopause, when the ovaries gradually reduce hormone production, especially oestrogen and progesterone. This fluctuation, she says, is what triggers both physical and emotional changes that many women often misinterpret.
“Women often assume they are stressed, depressed, or simply exhausted from life demands,” Dr Ngari explains. “But in many cases, the body is actually entering a hormonal transition that can begin in the late 30s or 40s.”
