opinions or bullies

If you have read my other post about women's health you will note that I have an interest in working with allopathic pracitioners (NHS GP's) to aid and benefit my clients in obtaining and maintaining better health.

Whilst researching the facts on menopause etc, I decided that I would like to work in conjunction with a NHS GP who understood the challenges a woman faces as a result of hormonal changes one undergoes during the menopause and at other times. I am searching for someone who is open to working with complementary therapies and diet changes as a way of supporting the women into overall wellbeing and to help them alleviate the symptoms they were experiencing.

To aid my seach, I placed a message on a health forum asking for information of any NHS GP who worked with women and was open to working with her patients on the complementary route so that I could liaise with them with regards my client's health and learn alongside how these affects could be alleviated, avoided or relieved completely. No where in my message did I refer to menopause as an illness simply that I was seeking to work with a NHS GP.

I was completely shocked when a rather (in my opinion) irrational, self centred, parochial woman attacked my comments on the forum with her personal viewpoint suggesting my request was wrong because menopause was normal and that women should simply be allowed to "get on" with the natural process - it was not an illness and does not need to be treated as such. I was shocked to have her "friends on the forum" add comments such as "which American invented that little money-spinner?!(perimenopause/menopause) being treated like illnesses", and informing me that they valued her opinion because she had been on the forum longer ... Doh!?

How does that make her an expert!? :-(

Is it just me or are these people missing the point? How scary is it that women such as these can be so ignorantly vocal, opinionated and lacking in compassion for their fellow women to not even consider that someone some where could benefit from combined wellness advice rather then jumping to their own conclusions that it is all about the money!

I am honestly appalled at the disgusting attitude shared by these people. I feel they are blind, biased, dogmatic and bullyish. The sad thing is these bullies are active on an international forum supporting independent points of view on personal choice and health management.

Now I do not see menopause as an illness, I know it is a normal process nevertheless I have seen first hand how the change in hormones can affect the overall wellbeing of the individual. many women suffer needlessly and in the dark since the NHS method of dealing with women's complaints seems to be archaic at the best! The complete helplessness these women feel, etc makes me sad and angry that we have such a narrow remit in place in the NHS when it comes to womens health.

I am disgusted that my fellow women do not see the need to support their kin in a quest for education, awareness and support and improved well being.

Is it any wonder feminism had to become extreme before we could make any headway in our campaign for equality let alone education? With women like these around we not only have to educate our male counterparts but we have a fair way to go before we can convince women we are one and the same tribe and can work better if we work together rather than sell ourselves short by dictating to our counterparts on how to simply "get on with it, it's natural".