The Menopausal Midbrain: Why We Lose Our Words And How to Get Them Back
A deeper look at memory loss, language, and voice in midlife
We’ve all joked about “menopause brain.”
The lost keys. Even my grandson who is only 2 says when we are ready to leave the house “Where’s nannies keys?”
The forgotten words… like I am often completely mortified when I get my words mixed up, I’m aware of it, but still, it just happens, it also frightens me a bit too… like is this the beginning of alzheimer’s/ dementia… you can’t help think these things when you hit 59 can you!
I tell myself it’s just brain fog, & have a think to see if I have taken my HRT…But what if it’s not just brain fog?
What if menopause is quietly reshaping how we use language, and what we’re really trying to say?
The Midbrain Shift
During perimenopause, fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone directly affect areas of the brain responsible for memory, focus, and verbal recall. These changes are real, and they’re not just inconvenient. They can feel terrifying.
You forget names.
Struggle to find the right words.
Or completely lose the thread of what you were saying.
And in a culture that already devalues older women’s voices, this loss of language can feel like losing power.
The Brain’s Protective Pause
What if this “mental pause” is the body’s way of asking us to pause on a deeper level?
Because what I’ve come to believe, both personally and professionally, is this:
Menopause isn’t a cognitive decline.
It’s a reorganisation.
We’re not becoming less intelligent.
We’re being invited to use our minds differently, less linear, more intuitive.
Less external, more internal.
The “loss” of sharp language often precedes the rise of deeper knowing.
The Voice Chakra + Midlife Silence
Many women also find themselves going quiet in midlife.
Not because they have nothing to say, but because they’re finally beginning to ask:
“Whose voice was I using all this time?”
“What truth have I silenced to survive?”
“What would it sound like if I spoke from my body, not just my mind?”
This is the throat chakra awakening.
And often, it’s not blocked, it’s just waiting for safety.
What Can Help?
If you’re in this stage, here are a few things I offer and suggest:
Essential oils for the throat chakra (like lavender, frankincense, chamomile)
Humming, chanting or gentle vocal release — to stimulate the vagus nerve
Speaking aloud what you fear — in safe, private spaces
Writing down your inner dialogues, without correcting or fixing
Reflexology & nervous system support to help you regulate and reclaim your clarity
This isn’t about “fixing” menopause brain.
It’s about understanding the sacred unravelling that’s happening within your nervous system and giving it the grace to reorganise.
In Closing
Midlife is not the end of your voice, it’s the beginning of your truest one.
You’re not losing yourself.
You’re being reintroduced to her.
If this resonates with you, you might also enjoy my free resources 👉 HERE
With Warmth & Wild Wisdom
Rose
Menopause Educator & Holistic Mentor
37 Years of Experience | Aromatherapist | Reflexologist | Sacred Reset Guide
