Speaking of silicone crones, Janice Dickinson is at it again. She made a spectacle of herself at a party in New York over the weekend.

Yet, I have a lot of affection for her. She's one of my favorite celebrity-train-wrecks and not just because she once complimented my haircut in a Beverly Hills beauty salon. I have come to admire her honesty during her stint on the latest iteration of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." She spoke movingly about how her relapse into addictions was motivated by a need to cope with the symptoms of menopause. I thought that was unusual and brave. She didn't blame menopause for her relapse or mitigate her responsibility for keeping sober.

I considered her story as similar to those of my older friends who tell me their initial bout with the symptoms of menopause left them unglued. They had no preparation for it and didn't know how to cope or seek relief for the memory loss, insomnia, dizziness and headaches.

Dickinson's emotional candor got me thinking about trying to prepare for my own menopause. I've been reading up on symptoms and educating myself about alleviation treatments. Did you know there are up to 34 symptoms? 34?! It's all so confusing. Perhaps that in itself is another symptom.