Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts

Currently, I am going through the perimenopause/menopause transition. Ugh, MENOPAUSE is not my favorite word! Some people don't like turning a certain age, but quite frankly, facing menopause is more scary than when I turned 50 years old. 

Needless to say, I've stuck my head in the sand when it comes to reading up on menopause, until now, that is. I've very recently started doing research online, attending virtual webinars/seminars, and watching YouTube videos about menopause. After I continue doing a bit more research, I'll be setting up an appointment(s), on how to treat symptoms of perimenopause/menopause with a specialist.

I wish women would talk more about perimenopause/menopause with each other and share their experiences going through this life changing event. Honestly, it's like the previous generations were completely mum about the topic of menopause as if it was a dirty word/secret. Thank goodness, more women are opening up and talking about menopause and their own personal experiences with menopause.

Since I'm interested in learning more about perimenopause/menopause, I couldn't resist buying and listening to Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts. Naomi Watts also narrates her own book too.

Normally, I wouldn't make a nonfiction book written by a celebrity my first choice as a book to read about menopause. I'd rather read books or articles about menopause written by medical experts. That aside, I decided to listen to Naomi Watt's book about menopause as it was on sale for a fraction of the cost via one of Chirp's limited time deals. Another factor for reading Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause is that it was recently published on January 21, 2025 and it also has good reviews and high ratings on both Amazon and Goodreads.

As far as Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause goes, I was impressed on several level with this book. It's well written and organized with very specific topics for each chapter. Each chapter ends with the key take away points discussed earlier in the chapter. I like the diverse range of topics about menopause discussed in this book. Naomi Watts also talks about her personal journey with menopause and how she has handled it. Ms. Watts appears to have done her research and cites medical experts and literature throughout her book. Even though Namoi Watts is a celebrity and not a medical expert, I think as a celebrity, she can attraction an audience that might otherwise not read a book about menopause.

As much as I really enjoyed listening to Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause, it wasn't perfect. I wish more was discussed about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) vs. the little that was discussed about it under the umbrella topic of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I'm personally not a big proponent of HRT as a method of choice for managing hormonal changes during perimenopause/menopause. But that's just my thoughts about HRT at this time... I'm not a medical expert and still need to do more research to learn more about HRT vs. BHRT.

Above is an NPR interview featuring Naomi Watts discussing her book, Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause. The interview itself is about 9 minutes in length if you're interested in hearing a snippet of what Ms. Watt's menopause book has to offer.

Below is the publisher's summary for Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts from Chirp's website:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A frank, funny and informative guide to menopause and aging by beloved actress Naomi Watts, one of the leading voices in menopause awareness—with a foreword by Mary Claire Haver, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause

At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just completed filming King Kong and was trying to start a family when she was told that she was on the brink of menopause. It is estimated that seventy-five million women in the United States are currently dealing with menopause symptoms (dry itchy skin, raging hormones, night sweats), and yet the very word “menopause” continues to be associated with stigma and confusion. With so little information, many women feel unprepared, ashamed, and deeply alone when the time comes.

This is the book Naomi Watts wishes she had when she first started experiencing symptoms. Like sitting down over coffee and having an intimate chat with your girlfriend, Dare I Say It blends funny and poignant stories from Naomi and her friends with advice from doctors, hormone experts, and nutritionists to take the secrecy and shame out of menopause and aging. Answering questions such as: What’s hormone therapy and should I be on it? Will I ever sleep again? Will I get myself back? What happened to my libido? Do I need eighteen serums for my aging skin? Whose body is this anyway? Who am I now? Naomi Watts shares the most up-to-date research on how to manage menopause symptoms and tackle the physical and emotional challenges we encounter as we age.

Irreverent, bold, and reassuring, Dare I Say It is the companion every woman needs to embrace the best version of herself as she moves into what can be the most powerful and satisfying period of her life.

I am giving Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause by Naomi Watts a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

P. S. I always find it difficult rating and reviewing nonfiction books on my blog about diet, health, and exercise as I'm not a medical doctor or medical researcher. I only base my reviews and ratings on how well I feel the information is presented and whether I feel what has been written contains useful information for myself.

Until my next post, happy reading!!