Managing food anxiety after a ‘geriatric pregnancy’
+ The new drug that treats hot flashes and night sweats
Have you heard about Veozah?
It’s the new drug for treating hot flashes and night sweats! Why am I excited about this? Welp, luckily I’ve never had a hot flash (thanks to Prozac, my doc says), but I have my very fair share of night sweats and am so ready to give Veozah a whirl.
According to our pals at Elektra Health, Veozah is the first non-hormonal neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist approved to treat hot flashes. It works by binding to and blocking the activities of the NK3 receptor, which plays a role in the brain’s regulation of body temperature. Because the drug is so new (the FDA approved it May 13), it’s not covered by health insurance, but apparently in about six months it could be.
In other news, as we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to say RIP to Heather Armstrong, who died by suicide May 9, 2023, at age 47. Heather will go down in history as a pioneering blogger who wrote very honestly about her life, depression, and alcoholism on Dooce.
Amy Cuevas Schroeder & The Midst team
amy@the-midst.com
How this 41-year-old mom manages her food anxiety after a ‘geriatric pregnancy’
By Olga Rosales Salinas
A friend asked me what life would have been like if I hadn’t had kids. My kids are just out of diapers and still full of energy and enthusiasm, so I reflexively answered, “Well, I’d get to chat with my husband again.” We both laughed.
The truth is not a single thing stayed the same after having babies. Not my friendships, my career, my physical body, or my self-identity. Nothing. When you’ve been through that type of transformation, you really can’t fathom what life would have been like if you’d made different choices. Her next question hit me even harder, “Would managing your anxiety be the same without kids?”
From anxiety to joy on the daily
By Bonnie Ho
When I think about who I was in my early 20s, and who I am now, I’m such a different person. I was an extremely naive twentysomething, frightened by everything.
Unlike my peers, I started off my 20s reserved. I didn’t party. I didn’t have many friends. I was quiet and shy.
I lived in a state of constant anxiety, but I didn’t want anyone to know, including myself. I thought anxiety was “normal” and didn’t know that feeling any other way was possible. I thought everyone felt this way, and that was life.
For most of my life, my cynical mind thought Joy isn’t real. Now I know better. Now I know that you can feel joy every day of your life.
Happiness hacks? 8 things I did to get my groove back
By Amy Cuevas Schroeder
For some people, losing their groove is abundantly clear — to the point where friends say, “What happened to the old you? I miss that person.” For others, losing their groove is subtle; you can’t quite put your finger on where the groove went or when it stopped playing music in the first place.
Whether no one else notices your groove is gone or it’s just you who feels off — like your zest took a sabbatical, or as though life just isn’t flowing the way you’d like — you can get your groove back. You can also establish a totally new groove and maintain it moving forward. The first step is realizing that you lost your groove to begin with.
Thanks for reading The Midst, the new Substack from the makers of Jumble & Flow.