Stage star Christine is ready to rock again
A talented performer who quit her dream job due to menopause symptoms is ready to embrace life on stage again.
Christine Dowson, from Ayr, is looking forward to getting back on stage after she was able to gain a better understanding of the mental struggle that can accompany the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle by engaging with The Prince’s Foundation’s Integrated Health and Wellbeing programme.
Christine experienced anxiety, doubt and lack of confidence which hindered her ability to perform with a cabaret show on cruise ships with her husband.
“Working on a cruise ship and experiencing life in the Caribbean was always something we’d always aspired to and we got the chance a couple of years ago,” she said.
“I began to feel like an alien on the stage and it became a huge issue to the extent that, when we were offered the chance to extend our contract, I couldn’t do it, despite it having been all I’d wished for.”
Soon after giving up her Caribbean adventure, Christine was told at her local GP of The Prince’s Foundation’s programme dedicated to helping women experiencing the effects of menopause.
The programme is typically run at The Health and Wellbeing Centre at Dumfries House near Cumnock but has moved online in recent months due to Covid- 19.
Christine said: “When you engage in an online health programme, you don’t know what to expect, and you’re nervous and self- conscious.
“It was so educational and gave an important insight into what’s happening to your body.
“You don’t feel like yourself and it’s quite an emotional experience to go through.
“The pro g ramme is a Godsend. I’d say to anyone who is experiencing the menopause ‘ Don’t give up!
“You feel isolated until you join a programme like this that helps you understand why you feel how you feel and how you, and others round you, can help.”
Shiona Johnston, health and wellbeing co- ordinator at The Prince’s Foundation, said: “We have cultivated an integrated approach to menopause, looking at the physical, emotional and psychological changes that happen during this time in a woman’s life.
“Christine and her fellow participants have been so brave to firstly sign up for this and then share their experience, which can be difficult.
“We’re delighted Christine is feeling better, and we hope her story inspires others struggling with the symptoms of menopause to find out more about our programme, which next runs in January.”
The Prince’s Foundation’s Integrated Health and Wellbeing programme is open to everyone, with grants available on application.
Those registered with a GP in Ayrshire and Arran can access programmes free of charge courtesy of support by People’s Postcode Lottery.