Remember how I said I was on hiatus to study for my menopause exam?

Well…it went even longer than planned because I didn’t realize I’d have to wait six weeks after everyone took the test (over a whole month) to get my results.

SIX.

WEEKS.

Ugh.

Here’s the evolution of my thoughts as I worked through the questions...

Q1: Ok, here we go. Oh nice, only 3 answer choices! Yay!

Q6: Huh. I treated this once as an intern…17 years ago. Come on, brain.

Q13: Did you even study for this?

Q38: I’m going to fail.

Q66: Why would I ever memorize this? That’s what references are for.

Q100: Just hit submit. You’re not going to will the answers to appear.

After hitting submit my thoughts were like...

Week 1: I definitely failed. Maybe they’ll release results early so I can just move on.

Week 4: Certification’s not that important. Because I know I failed.

Week 5: Whatever. At least I learned some stuff.

Week 6: Results are in... (waiting 1hr before opening the link and then having to reset my password twice to login) PASSED! 🎉

And just to put a little of this in perspective, the exam is geared towards primary providers like GYN and Family Medicine; people who regularly prescribe statins and manage blood pressure, fasting glucose, and vaginas. Not in my daily wheelhouse since 2009! So it was a lot to study (and potentially get wrong)!

Turns out, I wasn’t battling test anxiety so much as the waiting game.

But the whole thing reminded me how real test anxiety is for many people and how much I love helping with it!

For those who are totally prepared and then sit down only to feel their brain go blank?

That’s where a little propranolol magic comes in. It’s one of my go-tos for college students or any other performance anxiety, and most people tolerate it really well. One dose of 10-20mg 20min before the exam and the answers stay easy-access in your brain! (And just about any prescriber will be happy to write for this!)

As for the waiting spiral (whether it’s exam scores, medical tests, loan approvals, or anything else), here’s what helped me:

• Limit the spiral time/space: Give yourself one “what if” window a day instead of carrying it all day.
• Move your body: Walks, workouts, yoga; sweat that anxiety out and keep your cortisol down!
• Distract thoughtfully: Pick a project or book with a clear finish so you feel accomplished. (I needed more of this for sure. I mostly moped which was a huge drain on my mood and productivity.)
• Borrow certainty: Remind yourself, “The work is already done. Nothing changes that.”
• Anchor with a buddy: Tell a friend so they can talk you off the worst-case-scenario cliff. This was soooo helpful for me! And it feels better just having someone recognize that waiting for results sucks.

So yes, after a couple weeks of getting used to the idea, I’ve added MSCP (Menopause Society Certified Practitioner) after my name! Website, Psychology Today, email signatures: updated.

But don’t worry!

Just because this email is about menopause (again), that’s not all you’ll see from me going forward. Brain Bites will keep bringing you the interesting stuff on psych, meds, and brain science.

For today though…here’s your last dose of menopause for a while, my collab with Dr. Z on talking about sex during the menopause transition.​

And yes, there are more videos in the Hormone Havoc playlist if you want to binge. 😂

Cheers to healthy brains,

Dr. B
Jessica Beachkofsky, MD, MSCP
Your friendly, online psychiatrist!

P.S. Still time to pack for Hawaii next month if you’re coming to the vacation/learning extravaganza! My neurofeedback presentation is getting all kinds of fun activities and upgrades! 🌺

P.P.S. The link for ANOTHER menopause video! A great one with Dr. Z to help with talking about sex during perimenopause!