In this article we explore the discourses of menopause, aging, and the complexities of coping with both menopause
and aging among 30 women between the ages of 43 and 61 years living in Melbourne, Australia. Employing a qualitative
design with thematic analysis, we uncover the complexity and heterogeneity of coping styles. Three major
coping strategies are identified: inventive, troubled, and reactive. Recognition of the variety of coping strategies creatively
negotiated within the dynamic, complex processes of aging and menopause might assist women in developing
effective responses to these sometimes challenging life experiences.