- - Alyssa Milano Hasn’t 'Had a Panic Attack in Years', Says Menopause Helps Her Feel ‘Powerful’

Cara Lynn ShultzFebruary 4, 2026 at 11:46 PM

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Alyssa Milano at the West Hollywood premiere of "BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey" on Jan. 13, 2026.

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Alyssa Milano, 53, told AARP that she hasn’t “had a panic attack in years” after being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in her 20s

She credited this era of her life as helping her "come into my power"

Milano also said she doesn’t think she “would’ve had the confidence” to write a screenplay “had I not gone through menopause"

Alyssa Milano said going through menopause helped her “come into my power” — and shared that she hasn’t “had a panic attack in years.”

“I think a lot of menopause content asks how we get [women] back to normal. What if thinking ‘normal’ was part of the problem?” the Charmed alum, 53, told AARP. “I don’t want to be restored to who I was. I want to continue to explore this person that I am now.”

Milano parlayed her personal journey with aging — and the frustrating, dismissive treatment some women receive — into BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey.

Alyssa Milano is one of the executive producers of "BALANCE: a Perimenopause Journey."

Diego Angarita

The four-part documentary series is executive produced by Milano and Jeannie Mai and directed by monks and filmmakers Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti.

In the Amazon Prime series, Milano shared how she had to push for hormone replacement therapy after being dismissed by her doctors. She recalled being told, "'You just had a baby; go for a hike, take a yoga class.' "

But after she began HRT, Milano said she felt “hormonally balanced in a way I never did before.”

As she explained, “It’s about reshaping the narrative and really listening to women.”

Milano is in good company: As she pointed out, she’s not the only woman willing to speak out.

“This is really the first generation of women entering perimenopause with strong public voices, with economic power and with creative authority … We’re far less willing to disappear quietly,” she said.

The actress, who recently wrapped a run on Broadway in Chicago, said returning to musical theater has inspired her to stay active with her friends, sharing she gets a "bunch of my mommy friends ... together every Tuesday night to dance ... There’s a lot of resistance training in dance. There’s something so magical about coming together in community and moving your body."

Alyssa Milano at the "Is This Thing On" premiere in New York City on Oct. 10, 2025.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty

She also shared that she’s written a screenplay in her spare time, and it's all thanks — well, mostly — to menopause: “I’m not sure that I would’ve had the confidence to do that had I not gone through menopause and come into my power,” she told the outlet.

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“I haven’t had a panic attack in years,” she said, adding that “not worrying what other people think anymore is a huge bonus.”

Menopause, she emphasized, “isn’t failure. It’s a transition,” telling the outlet she has never felt as "powerful" as she does "right now."

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”