Celebs including Martine McCutcheon and Claire Sweeney counter the stigma of the menopause

ok.co.uk:

It was once only mentioned in hushed tones, but menopause is now less of a taboo subject, partly thanks to celebrities such as Davina McCall and Andrea McLean speaking candidly about their experiences.

Dr Naomi Potter, founder of Menopause Care, tells us: “It’s fantastic to see public figures speaking out. In fact, I think it’s been intrinsic to the menopause movement we’ve witnessed in the past couple of years.

Without this airtime, I don’t think we would be in the position we are today, where so many more women are actively seeking and being provided with the help they have needed. “When women see the same things happening to celebrity figures as themselves, they identify and can relate, and it makes them feel more normal about the whole progress.” Martine McCutcheon, Gabby Logan, Claire Sweeney and Lisa Snowdon share their menopause stories… Martine: 'I have crippling anxiety' Former EastEnders actress Martine McCutcheon says her experience of perimenopause – early symptoms of menopause before your periods stop – left her with “crippling anxiety”.

In an Instagram post, Martine, 46, said she’s been experiencing hot flushes, brain fog, insomnia and fatigue, but felt she was able to “cope”, having lived with CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and fibromyalgia since her twenties.