Lisa Snowdon has shared her experience of menopause as she aims to help other women going through something similar.
The star, 50, recalls suffering from sleep deprivation, gaining three stone in weight and experiencing 'angry rages' as her periods began to stop due to lower hormone levels - explaining how the lack of sleep often impacted her career as she would often be extremely tired.
Lisa - who once dated George Clooney - says 'some days I just didn't want to be here' when remembering some of the worst symptoms she experienced through her menopause battle, as she supports homewares retailer Dunelm's MenopauZzz campaign that helps women suffering from sleep issues due to the condition.
The Celebrity MasterChef winner also opens up about her anxiety and depression battle during the time of her life when she was premenopausal - recalling how as she was prescribed antidepressants and how her fiance George Smart, 42, would get 'the brunt' of her 'angry rages.
Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. Perimenopause is when you have symptoms before your periods have stopped. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
"For me, lack of sleep was the thing that sent me to my rock bottom when I first started going through menopause," Lisa says of her experience of menopause.
"Some days I just didn't want to be here."
The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant goes on to share with the Express how she struggled with weight gain and put on three stone at one point.
During the time when she was premenopausal, Lisa suffered from anxiety and was prescribed antidepressants which she only took for five months.
"I had angry rages. Poor George got the brunt of it so often," she said of her fiance - adding how she also experience night sweats.
The Britain's Next Top Model star eventually switched to body identical hormone replacement therapy (HRT), prescribed hormonal medication, which helped reduce her symptoms and left her in a better place.
Lisa isn't the only high-profile woman to use their platform to raise awareness of menopause and support other women going through the life-changing experience.
Menopause campaigner and TV presenter Davina McCall has previously discussed how going through the menopause at just 44 left her with 'brain fog'.
Enraged by a lack of conversation around a topic that affects so many women, Davina was inspired to make a documentary about the taboo issue.
'I was frustrated that no one was talking about this thing that 51% of the nation goes through," the presenter said of her Channel 4 special 'Davina McCall Sex, Myths and Menopause'.
The star won praise for her emotional investigation that explored the hidden struggles that millions of women go through and her frank and open discuss of how she manages her symptoms.
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