Midlife Millennials say their entire lives have been in crisis
+ How to tell the difference between perimenopause and thyroid problems
Did you see the NY Times piece about Millennial midlifedom?
In case you don’t have a NY Times subscription, I’m here with highlights. By Amy Cuevas Schroeder
When Jessica Grose turned 40 in 2022, she wondered why "middle age" in pop culture didn't look anything like what Millennials like her are experiencing. So she did what any good journalist would do: she started to investigate.
More than 1,000 NY Times readers born from 1977–1984 shared their feelings about being in the chronological middle of their lives. As she explains on Instagram, “One major theme emerged: they felt they couldn't have a midlife crisis because their entire lives had been in crisis.” … aka: the fallout from the dot-com bubble burst; 9/11, the Great Recession in 2008, and the freaking Covid pandemic.
Oof.
As a 46-year-old “young Gen Xer,” I’m fascinated by the “elder Millennial” experience and thought you might enjoy these nuggets from Grose’s report: “Millennials are hitting middle age — and it doesn't look like what we were promised” …
Are you a forty-something? I’d love to hear your take about how you’re feeling about life right now — the good, the bad, and the super-honest.
Low energy, weight gain, irregular periods — could it be perimenopause or thyroid problems?
One in eight people have a thyroid problem and just about all women go through perimenopause — here's how to tell the difference
By Hazra Khatoon
How can something so small have such a large impact on our bodies?
The thyroid is a 5-centimeter gland in the front of the neck that produces hormones playing a key role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, metabolism, heart rate, and the reaction of the body to other hormones. In other words, a healthy thyroid allows your body to hum along without thought.
Thyroid disorders, therefore, can negatively affect mood, energy level, bone health, pregnancy, and many other bodily functions. About one in eight people have a thyroid problem, and are more common in women than in men, according to the American Thyroid Association.
What are some of the most common thyroid issues?
Hyperthyroidism is the result of too much thyroid hormone and can lead to Graves’ disease, which has many symptoms, including sweating, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), weight loss, and protruding eyes.
Hypothyroidism is the result of the thyroid producing too little thyroid hormone. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, weight gain, depression, and abnormal bone development.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland and an autoimmune disorder. It can cause swelling in the neck and other annoying symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, increased sensitivity to cold, dry skin, and constipation.
“Thyroid is controlled by hormones from the pituitary gland in your brain and its main determinant is based on your metabolism. So, it helps regulate your energy metabolism,” says Tara Scott, MD aka “the Hormone Guru,” a Medical Director at Forum Health, and a board-certified OB/GYN with 25 years of experience.
Perimenopause increases the risk of thyroid problems and worsens its symptoms. Since thyroid condition and menopause are interrelated, their symptoms often overlap and create confusion between which condition is the culprit. In order to understand how to manage symptoms of both or either perimenopause or thyroid disorder, it’s important to understand their connection and how to differentiate between them.
A special edition of #HBDGAL
Our beauty editor Lauria Locsmondy just turned 47! To which she says, “My heart is full.”
Cool cake, right? Her friend Alison Lewis in Chicago baked it from scratch.
Your bday coming up? Tag #HBDGAL on Instagram and we might feature you!
Hi y'all, this is Amy, the founder of The Midst. How do you feel about midlife (if that's what you want to call it) these days?
For me, my early 40s were challenging. I remember the stress that came from helping to put my husband through college and grad school while working full time at a toxic ecommerce company, moving across country, having twins, finding out one had a rare syndrome, and just feeling frustrated most of the time. Now that I'm almost 47, I've made some major changes and am feeling very much on the other side of the frustrations of my early 40s.
100%. When I was younger, I thought hard work and hard times would pay off later. At 40, with what feels like minimal progress, I’m not sure what to think and expect. And I don’t have the energy and capacity to hustle like I did at 25. It’s tough!