Avenity Wellness and Hormones

She’s 40-something. She suddenly feels anxious. She isn’t sleeping. She’s more irritable. She feels overwhelmed by things she used to handle just fine. And she keeps saying, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Sound familiar?

Nearly 1 in 3 women experience anxiety symptoms during perimenopause.

And here’s another statistic that really caught our attention:
More than 1 in 4 women ages 40–64 had an antidepressant prescription.

Even more interesting? In women, the likelihood of being prescribed an SSRI increased with age until around age 50, right around the years many women are moving through the menopausal transition.

That should at least make us stop and ask:
What is happening hormonally during these years?

This is NOT an anti-antidepressant post. We believe there is a time and place for these medications, but we also believe women deserve to have the whole picture considered.

Perimenopause isn’t just hot flashes and irregular periods.

Sometimes it looks like:

Anxiety you’ve never experienced before.
Waking up at 2 or 3 AM.
Feeling overstimulated by everything.
A much shorter fuse.
Brain fog.
Low motivation.
Changes in libido.
Or simply feeling like you’re not quite yourself anymore.

And sometimes these changes start before a woman even realizes she’s in perimenopause.

Hormones communicate with the brain, too. Progesterone, for example, can be converted into allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid that interacts with GABA receptors,one of the brain’s major calming pathways.

So yes, let’s continue taking women’s mental health seriously.

But let’s also start asking if hormones could be part of the picture.

Because when a woman suddenly starts struggling she deserves more than being told she’s stressed, getting older, or just needs to cope better.

She deserves someone to look at the whole picture. 💗

Source: Sanchez-Ruiz et al., Journal of Women’s Health, 2023

What if feeling “fine” isn’t actually the goal? 👀

Maybe you’ve been told your labs are “normal,” but you still don’t feel like yourself.

Your energy is off. Your weight feels harder to manage. Your cycles have changed. Your libido disappeared. You’re more irritable, more tired, or just feel like something is off.

That’s where we come in. 💗

At Avenity Wellness & Hormones, we take a deeper look at hormones, thyroid function, metabolic health, insulin resistance, and the other pieces that can impact how you actually FEEL.

Because the goal isn’t just to get through the day.
It’s to feel strong. Feel confident. Feel like YOU again.

Not sure where to start?
Questions are always welcome.

💻 In-person + virtual appointments
🌐 www.avenitywellness.com
📱 937-870-3738

One of the most common things women say to us after we sit down, go through their symptoms, and review their bloodwork is:

“Oh… so I’m NOT just crazy? 😂 I honestly thought I was going to come in here and you were going to tell me nothing was wrong.”

And you can instantly see the relief on their face.

Because for months or sometimes years, they’ve been wondering why they suddenly have zero patience, everything annoys them, they’re overstimulated by 1 PM, they aren’t sleeping the same, their energy is gone, their libido packed its bags, and they just don’t quite feel like themselves anymore.

Meanwhile, life keeps moving, so we convince ourselves:

Maybe this is just what getting older feels like.
Maybe I’m just stressed.
Maybe this is just how I am now.

Ladies… perimenopause and menopause are normal stages of life. Feeling progressively worse through them does not have to be.

Hormones change during this season. Progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid function, metabolic health, they can all play a part in how you feel day to day.

And sometimes simply understanding that there may actually be a physiological reason behind what you've been experiencing is a HUGE relief.

You’re not looking for an excuse for how you feel.

You’re looking for an explanation and a plan.

That’s one of our favorite parts of what we do at Avenity: helping women connect those dots, understand what’s happening in their bodies, and realize that entering a new stage of life doesn’t mean accepting a steady decline in how they feel.

And yes… we can work on the hormones.

Your family may still annoy you sometimes, but having patience again can make handling the chaos a whole lot easier. 😂💗

Hormone advice is everywhere... but how do you know what's actually right for you?

Google can give you information.
Social media can share experiences.

But neither can tell you why you're experiencing the symptoms you are.

Maybe you've tried supplements.
Maybe you've changed your diet.
Maybe you've listened to podcasts, read articles, or spent hours researching your symptoms.

Yet you still don't feel like yourself.

The truth is, hormones are not one-size-fits-all. Two women can have the exact same symptoms but need completely different treatment plans because the underlying cause isn't always the same.

That's why we don't believe in cookie-cutter medicine.

At Avenity, we take the time to understand your story. We look at your symptoms, your health history, your labs, and your goals to figure out what's actually driving the way you feel.

Because the goal isn't to chase the latest wellness trend.

It's to understand your body and create a plan that's built specifically for you.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by all the conflicting information out there, know you're not alone. Sometimes the hardest part isn't finding information, it's knowing which information actually applies to you.

That's where we love helping. Our passion is helping you understand what's happening in your body, empowering you with knowledge, and creating a plan that makes sense for you, so you can stop guessing and start feeling like yourself again. 💕🫶🏻💕
FeelLikeYourselfAgain

"Maybe it's just stress."
"You're getting older."
"Everything looks normal."

How many times have you heard one of those?

Meanwhile you're...
• Running on empty, even after a full night's sleep.
• Snapping at the people you love.
• Gaining weight despite eating well.
• Wondering why your anxiety feels different.
• Struggling with brain fog, low motivation, or a loss of the woman you used to be.

And then your lab work comes back...

"Everything is normal."

Here's something we wish more women knew:
Normal and optimal are not the same thing.
Many lab reference ranges are designed to identify disease not to identify why you don't feel like yourself.

At Avenity, we don't just treat a piece of paper. We treat the woman sitting in front of us.

Your symptoms matter.
Your story matters.
And you deserve answers beyond, "Everything looks fine."

If you've been feeling "off" and can't quite explain it... this is your reminder that you're not crazy, and you don't have to settle for simply getting by.

🤍 You deserve to feel like yourself again.

'sHealth

✨ Let Me Re-Introduce Myself ✨

Hi, I'm Alison Sturgis, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, founder of Avenity Wellness & Hormones.

If you're new here or even if you've been following along for a while I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself and share the heart behind why I started Avenity.

I didn't start this practice because I wanted to prescribe hormones.

I started it because I wanted to practice medicine differently.

After years of working in healthcare I met so many incredible people who knew something didn't feel right. They were exhausted, struggling with brain fog, weight gain, anxiety, poor sleep, low libido, longing for a sense of wellbeing, or simply didn't feel like themselves anymore.

Many had been told, "Your labs are normal."

Some left appointments feeling unheard or without answers. Others were offered medications to help manage how they were feeling but still wondered, "Why do I feel this way in the first place?"

That question stuck with me.

I realized I didn't want to spend my career simply treating symptoms. I wanted to understand what was driving them.

That's why I built Avenity.

Every patient who sits in my chair has a story, and I genuinely believe they deserve the time to tell it. I don't believe healthcare should feel rushed or transactional. I want my patients to feel heard, understood, educated, and involved in their care.

Whether we're talking about hormones, thyroid health, metabolic health, or overall wellness, my goal is never just to review lab work.

It's to listen.

To educate.

To connect the dots.

And to create a plan that's personalized to the person sitting in front of me.

Because you're more than a lab value.

You're more than a diagnosis.

And you deserve to understand **why** your body is feeling the way it is.

To every patient who has trusted me with your health, thank you. It is truly a privilege to be part of your journey and I never take that responsibility lightly.

If you're new here, welcome. I'm so glad you're here and I hope Avenity becomes a place where you feel empowered, informed, and hopeful about your health.

If this resonated with you, or if someone came to mind while you were reading this, would you mind sharing it with them?

You never know when one conversation, one message, or one small act of kindness might remind someone that there are still answers worth searching for and hope worth holding onto. 🤍

Love you all.

Alison 💕

Learn more are at: www.avenitywellness.com

Testosterone isn't just a man's hormone... it's one of the hormones that helps women feel like themselves again. 🤍

So many women start saying things like...
"I'm exhausted all the time."
"I don't have the motivation I used to."
"I feel like I'm just going through the motions."
"I don't have the patience I used to have."
"I love my husband, but I just don't have the desire anymore."
"I don't even recognize myself."

We often chalk it up to stress, getting older, or just being busy.
But sometimes, low testosterone is part of the picture.

Testosterone does so much more than support libido. It plays an important role in your energy, motivation, mental clarity, mood, lean muscle, metabolism, bone health, and overall vitality.

And when you start feeling better, it doesn't just impact you. It often changes your relationships too. You have more energy to be present, more patience with the people you love, and you start feeling connected again to your partner, your family, and most importantly, yourself.

Because hormone optimization isn't about becoming someone new... it's about helping you feel like you again. 🤍
📍Avenity Wellness & Hormones
🌐www.avenitywellness.com
'sHealth FeelLikeYourselfAgain AvenityWellness

You brought a baby into this world, but somewhere along the way, it may feel like you've lost a piece of yourself.

The exhaustion.
The anxiety.
The irritability.
The brain fog.
The feeling of being touched out, overwhelmed, and running on empty.

Too often, these struggles are dismissed as "just part of motherhood."

And while motherhood is beautiful, constantly feeling unlike yourself shouldn't be considered normal.

At Avenity, we believe women deserve more than having symptoms brushed aside. They deserve support that looks deeper.

Hormones matter.
Thyroid health matters.
Sleep matters.

Because when the foundation is struggling, symptoms are often the body's way of asking for support.

This isn't about chasing perfect labs or finding a quick fix. It's about understanding what may be contributing to how you're feeling and helping you feel like yourself again.

🤍 You deserve answers.
🤍 You deserve support.
🤍 You deserve to feel like you again.

We protect what we value.

We buy the next big thing.
We jump on the latest trend.
We upgrade our phones.
We save for vacations.
We spend time researching purchases before we make them.

And there's nothing wrong with any of those things.

Trust me, I'm the first one to invest in good skincare, plan a weekend trip/vacation, or get excited about something new showing up at my doorstep. 😅

But recently I've found myself asking:

How often do we put that same level of intention into our health?

Many of us are busy protecting everything and everyone around us.

Our children.
Our spouses.
Our families.
Our careers.
Our finances.

Yet we'll spend months or even years ignoring the fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, brain fog, low energy, unexplained weight gain, or other symptoms that are quietly affecting how we show up every day.

Not because we don't care.

Because life gets busy.

But the reality is that your health impacts all of it.

Your family.
Your relationships.
Your work.
Your ability to enjoy the life you've worked so hard to build.

You can't give your best to everyone else while giving nothing to yourself.

Eventually, the exhaustion catches up.
The brain fog catches up.
The burnout catches up.

Taking care of yourself isn't selfish.

It's recognizing that you only get one body, and every dream, goal, relationship, and responsibility you have depends on it.

You protect what you value.

Maybe it's time to put your health back on that list. 🤍🤎

'sHealth

June's Women in Power is tomorrow, June 2nd from 3:00–4:30 PM! Join us for a discussion with Alison Sturgis of Avenity Wellness and Hormones on how hormonal changes can impact health, energy, and focus during midlife. This free women's event is open to members and non-members. We hope to see you there!

RSVP and Learn More: https://shorturl.at/d9Enp