Mother and daughter rebuild bond through therapy amid menopause challenges

By Christina Watkins

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    WINTER PARK, Florida (WESH) — Menopause is often discussed in terms of physical changes, but its impact on mental health and relationships can be significant, according to Nikkia Buckhanon.

Buckhanon, a Central Florida mother, recently shared her experience of how menopause nearly fractured her relationship with her daughter, prompting her to seek therapy.

“You don’t know what’s going on. You don’t know how to fix it. You’re just navigating through this, trying to figure out what is your body doing. Am I really going crazy? Because it absolutely feels like you are,” Buckhanon said.

She described experiencing mood changes, anxiety, irritability, and brain fog that led her to withdraw from her loved ones. Her daughter noticed the change after returning from college, which motivated Buckhanon to seek help.

A year and a half ago, Buckhanon found Cherlette McCullough, a licensed family therapist in Winter Park, who helped her understand the psychosocial aspects of menopause.

“Depression, anxiety, low self-worth. I just didn’t know what was going on,” Buckhanon said.

McCullough emphasized the often-overlooked psychosocial aspects of menopause.

“I think a lot of people think when we talk about menopause, it’s only about the biological aspect, but the psychosocial part as well. It is one that is brutal,” McCullough said.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that up to 70% of women experience mood swings during menopause, and between 45% and 60% struggle with depression.

McCullough, who is also going through menopause, can relate to the challenges.

“It’s scary because especially if you’re a person like me, that’s upbeat and then you have this sudden change of like, tiredness and just lack of motivation. You’re wondering to yourself, am I depressed? Is this anxiety? What is this that I’m feeling? But it’s something that you totally cannot deny. You feel it and it’s real,” McCullough said.

McCullough stressed the importance of open conversations about menopause for women of all ages to foster a sense of community and prepare those who have not yet experienced it.

Seeking therapy and openly communicating with her daughter helped Buckhanon repair their relationship. She noted these conversations were absent in previous generations within her family, and now, she is transparent with her daughter about her experiences.

Both Buckhanon and McCullough advocate for seeking help at any age. Buckhanon, who began therapy at 49, credits it with transforming her life and encourages other women and families to discuss menopause openly.

“I really want women to really, you know, even families just come and talk about it, and you’ll see changes with a little work,” Buckhanon said.

Several organizations offer free menopause resources including The Menopause Society, Let’s Talk Menopause and the National Menopause Foundation.

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