I had my periods until 54. My mother did, too. My internist told me that 52 is the American average age for women to complete menopause, but that the range is wide. I had hot flashes in my mid forties for about a year, only a couple awful ones where my head sweated so much that my hair was dripping. All I can say is that hormones affect your mental health and so does menopause. A drag!