"I'm falling apart, and I don't know why": An interpretative phenomenological analysis of women’s experiences of living with menopause.

Menopause can affect women’s psychological well-being and cognitive function. We adopted phenomenology to explore women’s experiences of menopause symptoms. Four women self-identifying as peri-menopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal completed an autophotography task and semi-structured online interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis generated four themes: Adrift on a sea of confusion summarized women’s worries and uncertainty about change; Planning for uncharted waters recounted unfamiliar symptoms and “relief” of “diagnosis”; Going with the flow describes acceptance of change; and Toward calmer currents revealed an emerging coherent identity. Women’s menopause experiences were both positive and challenging. Epistemic injustice, experienced through poor services and healthcare professional knowledge, delayed help-seeking. Phenomenological theory explained coexisting incommensurate feelings of psychological distress and growing resilience. Reconstructing menopause as opportunity for growth in older womanhood would benefit women’s quality of life. To facilitate earlier help-seeking and access to treatment, societal and professional education needs strengthening to include the breadth of menopause symptoms.