If you are in your forties and troubled with unexplained weight gain, mood swings, and hormonal issues, you might be approaching menopause. While menopause symptoms are characterised more under physical and psychological categories, women are less informed about the mental health aspects of menopause. Yes, hormonal changes during menopause can impact your mental health if not taken care of. Let us understand from Tammana Singh, Menopause Coach and founder- Menoveda, the link between menopause and mental health and how the former can affect the latter.
How does menopause affect mental health
Production of estrogen female hormones begins to decline as the woman approaches mid forties. This brings a lot of changes in the body that become evident slowly. It is important to manage the symptoms of menopause to secure holistic wellbeing of the menopausal woman. While the noticeable symptoms are irregular periods, hot flashes, weight gain, irritability, vaginal dryness and breast tenderness, some psychological symptoms go unnoticed. A lot of women fail to detect the mental health impact of menopause, let alone address it. This can cause serious implications over time, increasing the risk of mental health issues.
Let us know 7 ways menopause affect mental health:
Mood swings
One of the significant signs of menopause is mood swing. This is quite similar to mood swings that women experience during periods. Hormonal changes in the body can influence serotonin production which is a brain chemical. This can further influence our moods.
Also Read: Is There A Connection Between Hypothyroidism and Menopause?
Stress and Anxiety attacks
Insufficient serotonin release along with reduced estrogen hormones production can cause stress. Over time, unattended stress can raise anxiety levels. This makes menopausal women prone to anxiety attacks. Therefore, it is important to consult a mental health expert and ward off the risks at initial level.
Poor memory
According to a study published in the NCBI, peri- and post-menopausal women experience memory decline with advancing age. This means, menopausal women may suffer memory issues. The study also suggests that mind-body medicine can improve the symptoms.
Depression
When stress, anxiety and memory issues are not addressed on time, it may cause the woman to slip into depression. This condition arises when a person ignores the red flags and doesn’t receive timely support.
Also Read: 5 Drinks to Manage Hot Flashes During Menopause
Increased irritability
Menopausal women get very irritated, sometimes, for no reason. They get triggered by even very minute issues that may aggravate in the long run. While this may look like individual behavioural issues, it is actually a serious issue that puts mental health at risk.
Anger issues
Experts share that anger issues are very common in menopausal women. They can get intimidated easily and react angrily. Occasional bouts of anger are ignorable but these can cause long-term implications.
Risk of dementia
If mental health is ignored during menopause, it can double up the risk of chronic mental ailments. According to a Lancet study, early menopause is linked to dementia. Some other studies have hinted at the possibility of dementia in women who take hormone replacement therapy to ease menopausal symptoms.
In a nutshell, menopause can take a toll on your mental health too. It is important that women in the menopausal age take note of the symptoms of deteriorating mental health and take necessary steps to alleviate the risk.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4125424/
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(23)00210-9/fulltext