Menopause and your emotions

For some women, menopause is a welcome relief, but for others it can set off a variety of emotions, even depression.

In some women, menopause is associated with a variety of emotions, both positive and negative emotions.

At about menopause, some women experience exhilaration, relief, and release, since they no longer have to worry about having periods or using birth control. In fact, many women confirm that they are happier after menopause.

For other women, though, the rapid hormone fluctuations and the physical changes that are associated with menopause can lead to mood swings, anxiety, irritability, feelings of sadness, difficulties with memory and concentration, and even depression. Women have an increased risk of developing significant depressive symptoms after they enter menopause, even if they don’t have a history of depression.

We have all heard some of the classical portrayal of the menopausal women being moody, angry, and irritable. But after experiencing such distressing menopause symptoms as hot flashes, sleep disorders, and physical changes it is no wonder menopausal women can feel on edge. The good news is that this won’t last forever.

Hormonal changes during menopause: Hormonal fluctuations are related to menopause.

Oestrogen – is the little hormone that makes a big difference. This hormone does not just control the female reproductive system; it also plays a part in the digestive system, skeletal system, nervous system, muscular system, and circulatory system. In addition, oestrogen affects the production of testosterone and progesterone. Because of all of these roles and responsibilities, your entire body is thrown into the trials of menopause, not just the reproductive organs.

In addition to the many physical changes women suffer during menopause, emotional changes are also common. Read on to the next section to discover what emotional disorders during menopause are.

Emotional changes during menopause

Many people associate emotional changes with menopause, more often they are easy to identify, but some women consider them as signs and symptoms of depression, although there are other symptoms related to emotional changes during menopause.

Mood swings explained

Oestrogen, among its many jobs, increases the synthesis of serotonin in the brain, the chemical that works to regulate your mood. When you have extremely low levels of oestrogen, you could also be suffering a serotonin deficit as a result. If you suffer from hot flashes, night sweats, and the sleeplessness that they can cause, this only contributes to your bad moods.

Depression

The direct effect of oestrogen on serotonin partially explains why menopausal women are prone to depression in addition to mood swings. Also, researchers believe that cortisol, the stress hormone, may intensify depression. Oestrogen is undeniably linked to this hormone as well. When oestrogen levels are low, cortisol production goes into overdrive, resulting in high levels of it in the body.

Anxiety

Like serotonin, the brain chemicals norepinephrine, dopamine, and melatonin play a part in your emotional well-being and are stimulated by oestrogen. An imbalance in these chemicals leads to anxiety, which causes people to feel like they are constantly unraveling. Anxiety also spurs panic attacks, or periodic episodes that manifest themselves in chest pains, accelerated breathing, hot flashes, and potentially even thoughts of imminent death.

Women are much more likely to experience emotional disorders than men, and this is due in part to the effects of fluctuating hormones and hormonal imbalance in the body.

Additional Report: WomensHealth