Shelly Horton almost abandoned her career over common mid-life issue

Television star Shelly Horton has revealed how she nearly abandoned her hard-won career after she spiralled into depression and began feeling ill three years ago.

The bubbly media personality had to appear on set with a huge smile and laugh with her colleagues despite being overcome by a feeling of utter despair.

The 48-year-old, who lives on the Gold Coast in Queensland, had never suffered from mental health issues before and began questioning her reality.

The star now knows she was suffering from the symptoms of perimenopause – but had never even heard the term before 

She has teamed up with her best friend, Doctor Ginni Mansberg, to educate people on the subject and break through the stigma

Until she found out her waves of sadness, hot flushes and anxiety were all part of perimenopause.

‘I had no idea what was going on. I hadn’t even heard the term perimenopause,’ she told FEMAIL. 

‘One of the things that triggered me to seek help was the complete lack of joy I had around work,’ she added.

Explaining her bullet proof work ethic has always been part of her identity and kept her cup full. 

‘I run my own company, ShellShocked Media and I work at Channel Nine and both of those things make me incredibly happy,’ she said.

‘But with perimenopause, I was having trouble getting out of bed. Depression was something I’d never experienced before.’ 

‘I would drive into work pretending to be happy and pretending to be on the ball, so no-one would know how I was truly feeling,’ she said. 

She isn’t alone and has since discovered one in ten women going through perimenopause walk away from their careers. 

‘I now know one in three women experience, anxiety and depression during perimenopause and menopause. It’s actually the highest risk time in a woman’s life. Higher than teenage girls and higher than postnatal depression,’ she said. 

Shelly says it took six months of HRT and anti-depressants before she finally felt like she was getting back to her bubbly self

During perimenopause – the few years before a woman’s period stops for good – there are a lot of hormonal changes which are responsible for the brutal symptoms.

The stigma attached to the transitional stage makes matters worse. 

Shelly has described peri-menopause as the mid-life glass ceiling women have to smash through to continue to kick goals after their ‘child bearing years’.

Shelly’s husband Darren Robinson convinced her to see a doctor and she was put on anti-depressants and HRT medication.

‘It took at least six months to ask for help, and then probably another three or so months to find medication that was right for me. That whole time I was crying nearly every day, which anyone who knows me is not my natural state,’ she said.

She teamed up with her best friend, Doctor Ginni Mansberg, 54, and ‘Don’t Sweat It’ was born

‘So I now am on medication and feeling back to my bubbly self. It’s not a straight road. I still have dips, but I’m really learning to be much kinder to myself.’

After negotiating the perimenopause minefield herself Shelly realised she wanted to help other women do the same thing – and educate the broader community on how to make life for a woman going through the life change easier. 

She teamed up with her best friend, Doctor Ginni Mansberg, 54, and ‘Don’t Sweat It’ was born.

Now the women run workshops for business leader to help them help their staff through perimenopause.

Their website also has heaps of free tips to help break down the stigma and explain perimenopause in a way that’s easy to digest.

‘I needed was a course like this. So I’m hoping that Don’t Sweat It will help workplaces and women everywhere to become more menopause friendly,’ Shelly said.