The empty nest syndrome refers to the time in, mostly a woman’s life, when her children have grown up and become independent. They may be gone for long periods, as in going to a university away from home. Or they may have flown the nest for good, moved away for good because of work or a wander lust.
There are some women who live for their children. Their whole life has revolved around them. They have forgotten about the things they were once interested in. Or perhaps they started their families at an early age and never had the time to discover their own interests.
Now the family has flown the nest, these women can be left with the feeling of ‘what’s the point’? She gave her all for them when they were little. Now they have gone with scarcely a backward glance. She may become a little resentful. She may feel ‘they had my best years, now I’m discarded’.
This can be especially true if her partner is not loving and supportive. Worse still, if he has died or left, for whatever reason.
This time is so commonly coincidental with the menopause that the two areas are often seen as one.
In today’s unstable world, value is given to being young and attractive. A menopausal woman may feel that she has been relegated to the trash heap. No-one wants or needs her now. She is no longer young and as attractive as she once was. She is getting the common symptoms of menopause, which can make her feel even less attractive.
Life is barely worth living. She feels powerless. She feels negative, She feels lonely. She fears for her future. Her sleep becomes disrupted, waking especially in the early morning hours, then not being able to settle back to sleep. She may need to urinate frequently at night, further disrupting her sleep.
She ends up exhausted, indifferent. She feels trapped and slides into depression. Yet she may put on a mask of forced cheerfulness, so her moods can quickly change from one to the other. Yet, she feels despair.
The empty nest syndrome is common in modern society, as we live in a paternalistic society, where women are still viewed as less than. Her children gave her a sense of self, of value, of a cause worth living for. Now she has lost that. Now she wonders, ‘what is the point of me?’
She may feel an outcast, so avoids social activities. She may feel hungry and eats all the wrong food, putting on excess weight.
She seeks solace in synthetic hormonal treatment, only to find her troubles deepen, that she now feels ‘as if she is sitting on the edge of a cliff’.
When a woman feels like this, it can be from a disruption of her natural hormones. That can be from some earlier hormonal interference, such as the birth control pill. Or it can be from xenoestrogens. Or a combination.
Xenoestrogens are synthetic hormones, which tend to disrupt the endrocrine system. They are found in everyday products, from plastic containers, plastic wrap, plastic water bottles, to make up, cleaning products, sanitary pads and tampons and especially in the pesticides used on fresh produce.
What can she do? How can she regain her purpose in life? How can she discover the best days of her life may be ahead of her?
The first thing is to reduce or eliminate the xenoestrogens in her life. Eat organic food, avoid plastic containers, use natural, plant based make up, avoid hormonally produced dairy and meat (almost all is).
This is an important step towards better heath, but may not be enough.
Good homeopathic treatment can help her retrieve her life. It can help her see her purpose in life. It can help her restore her balance. It can help her regain her former interests in life, to rekindle the smouldering flames.
Don’t let the empty nest syndrome ruin your life. You still have the rest of your life to enjoy.