For three years, Sally Williams battled deteriorating mental health and physical symptoms that left her hospitalized eight times, spending nearly 11 months in care. During this period, she lost her finance job, became separated from her teenage son, and fought for her life, all while being unaware that her symptoms were linked to perimenopause.
Williams, from the Wychavon area in Worcestershire, described how doctors initially misdiagnosed her condition as depression when symptoms began in her late 40s. It was only after she conducted her own research and self-diagnosed that she found relief through hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which she said was
This happened to me too. I lost my job before realizing it was perimenopause. Thank you for sharing.
Self-diagnosis feels risky, but sometimes you have to be your own advocate when doctors are overwhelmed.
I am so glad she found relief, but the cost of HRT should not be a barrier for anyone.
How many years did she suffer before anyone actually listened? The healthcare system needs serious reform here.
It is terrifying how easily women’s physical pain is dismissed as just anxiety or depression.