A year or so prior to my inquiry into Christian Science, I was seeking help from a physician who, though sympathetic, did not offer much hope of relief; nor did he allay my fears concerning menopause. I was receiving monthly hormone treatments and was told to consider having a hysterectomy. But this kind of surgery seemed pointless to me. Also the physician's and nurse's comments on the so-called "change of life" syndrome left me puzzled. They thought it was, to a good extent, a psychosomatic occurrence, whereas I thought it to be entirely physical. From female acquaintances came a number of conflicting reports and theories on this entrenched belief. Common advice was to put up with it as best I could, remain "cheerfully" miserable, and resort to material remedies for temporary relief.
Still, I gathered that some women go through this stage with little discomfort, while others are in anguish. The thing to do, friends said, was not to dwell unduly on the symptoms or be fearful of them, but to keep oneself usefully occupied. This last I felt was sound advice. Still I remained dominated by fear and guilt feelings over past sexual behavior, and suffered from headaches, irritableness, and general feelings of dissatisfaction.
When I encountered the teachings of Christian Science, I found that reading the textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, lifted me out of fear-ridden, unprofitable, material thinking into the light and freedom of spiritual reality.
