Most women are taught that menopause is simply the day their ovaries “quit” and you stop making sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

But here’s the truth: menopause is not a full stop — it’s a handoff.

When your ovaries “retire”, they’re supposed to pass the hormone baton to your adrenal glands. And how well that transition goes often determines whether you experience menopause as a gentle shift or as a brick wall.