For time immemorial, approximately half the human population has gone through “the change,” the mid-life transition from monthly menstruation to menopause known as “perimenopause.” One might assume that a years-long, enormously disruptive process that affects nearly every woman on earth would’ve been at the top of the priority list when modern medical research began.

Alas, nope. Not even close. But at long last, a whole generation of women is collectively raising our voices to say, “WTF?!?”

Millions of Gen X women are in the thick of perimenopause, with its 100-some-odd symptoms that range from the expected hot flashes to the unexpected frozen shoulder, itchy ears, joint pain, hair thinning, brain fog, panic attacks, weight gain, low-level rage, and more. It’s like a daily lottery of random phenomena that make you ask, “Am I dying or is this normal?”

@drjenniferscott Perimenopause, anyone? #GenX #generationx #genxtok #genxtiktokers #perimenopause ♬ original sound – Dr. Jennifer

Perimenopause, anyone? #GenX #generationx #genxtok #genxtiktokers #perimenopause ♬ original sound – Dr. Jennifer

Our mothers and grandmothers may have talked to each other about this experience in private, but Gen X is going public, calling out the b.s. with our whole chests.

Social media has given us a voice our ancestors didn’t have

First, let’s talk about the b.s. that is perimenopause itself. Considering that it’s just a biological process, it may not actually be b.s., but it sure feels like b.s.

For countless women, the upheaval that perimenopause brings affects........

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