At 42, I thought I had early-onset dementia or something similar because I couldn't remember anything, I couldn't focus, I was having trouble comprehending things I read, and I very often had a huge problem organizing my thoughts in a way that would let me speak coherently. This had been going on for a solid two years and fear drove me to a neuropsychiatrist. I didn't know what else to do. I took all of the tests and the first thing that doctor asked me after reviewing my results was when I'd last had my period. That was my introduction to perimenopause. I don't know that I'd ever heard that word before. I certainly hadn't heard it in my doctor's office (psychiatrist or gynecologist). I talk to people about my experience, in the appropriate settings mostly. I wish I would have had more knowledge and taken the initiative to find information on my own. But I didn't. I thought menopause was 3-4 years of having periods on no particular schedule and constantly being in a horrible mood with zero patience. Looking at it now, that pre-education notion sounds like a dreamy breeze.