Carol Vorderman has bravely shared her experience with the menopause, explaining that there was a point where she even felt "suicidal at times".
The TV presenter, 61, who recently posed with her rarely seen son as they celebrated her daughter's graduation, spoke out on Wednesday 27 July's segment of This Morning, where she fronted the This Morning Menopause Bus.
Making her way from Liverpool all the way to Cardiff, Carol attempted to spread awareness and information on what happens to the body and mind during the menopause.
Speaking to Dr. Philippa Kaye, the Countdown star explained that she's "been through all this" as she said: "I've been through the years where we were shamed into thinking we were crazy because we had menopausal symptoms."
Carol continued: "Well I started in my early 50s, I didn't have night sweats or flushes or anything. I started feeling anxious, I've never felt anxious in my life.
"I started feeling anxious about what trousers I was going to wear, whether I was going to have tea or coffee, you know, all sorts of things."
The star, who recently filled in for Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show after she came down with Covid-19, went on to share how this anxiety turned into depression, leaving her with dark thoughts.
She said: "That developed into a deep depression, I felt suicidal at times. What saved me was that I kept a note of when my period arrived through an electronic calendar and that helped."
Carol then began using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which helped bring her back to a place where she felt "normal" again.
"I started on a bespoke HRT and within 48 hours I felt back to normal and I have never had a symptom since, it is wonderful," she shared.
Speaking directly to those who will, are and have already gone through the menopause, Carol added: "We all go through it, there is nothing to be ashamed about.
"There is nothing to feel like you're going crazy about, you are not going crazy, it is simply a hormone change."
This isn't the first time Carol has spoken openly about her experience with the menopause though, as back in 2017, she told the Daily Mail: "I’d wake up and I knew I had to get up and function because I have two children and an elderly mum to look after, but I’d think, ‘I don’t see the point in anything’, and I’d start sobbing."
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"I just wanted everything to stop," she added. "I felt wretched for no reason. It wasn’t as if I was grieving or anything had gone wrong. Far from it; I’m fortunate – there was just no joy in anything."
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
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