Maria Bello Used Ozempic, Botox and More to Navigate Menopause Before Embracing Who She’d Become
“After finally coming out of my cocoon of self reflection, I want to share my journey over the last two years to accept my newly emerging self,” the actress said
Maria Bello is sharing her candid journey toward accepting menopause after years of trying to resist its effects.
The 56-year-old actress returned to Instagram on Monday following a two-year absence, jokingly referring to the break as a “(meno)PAUSE.” In a heartfelt post, Bello reflected on the many measures she explored while navigating the physical and emotional changes that came with menopause.
“I went through the first half of menopause during Covid and tried everything to keep it at bay,” she wrote. “I took bio-identical hormones (and still do), dieted harder and faster but still managed to gain 15 pounds, tried Ozempic for a week but gave up after the constant nausea and vomiting, got rid of the waddle on my neck, tried Botox, fillers and lasers, face creams, cellulite machines, face threads, teeth straightening and more.”
Bello explained that her search for answers extended beyond cosmetic treatments. “I did copious amounts of therapy, including micro-dosing psilocybin, left Hollywood and all social media and at the end of it all finally moved to Paris,” she continued. “That was October of 2021.”
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According to Bello, her move to Paris marked the beginning of a much deeper personal journey. Rather than continuing to fight the changes she was experiencing, she decided to embrace them, focusing on what she described as the “PAUSE” in menopause and dedicating herself to self-discovery.
As part of that process, she immersed herself in the “7 Tasks of Aging,” a concept introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Through years of reflection and personal growth, Bello said she gradually reached a place of acceptance.
“Jung said the mid-life point is marked by disillusionment and depression. He said to cross over successfully to the second half of life, one needed to complete these tasks. (More on that later),” she wrote. “Now after finally coming out of my cocoon of self reflection, I want to share my journey over the last two years to accept my newly emerging self.”
Bello said she hopes her experience can help others who are going through similar transitions. “I hope these posts will help anyone crossing over to the ‘second half of life’ and inspire them not to avoid menopause but to embrace it,” she ended. “So here we go! #mariasmenopause #menopause #secondhalfoflife #thepause.”
Her candid post quickly resonated with followers, many of whom praised her openness and expressed excitement about learning from her experiences. “So good to have you back and even better to get me through the second part of my life. Looking forward to everything you have to share with us,” one follower wrote.
Another commenter shared, “Thank you so much for sharing your journey. Can’t wait to hear all about it!!! I’m in the middle of it too! 😫.”