It’s a myth that menopause only affects your physical health. The reality is that the mental strain on a woman during menopause can be very difficult to deal with.
Menopause might affect a person’s mental wellness may be affected negatively. It’s important to have some understanding of what’s going on in the body to produce those mental changes.
We’re going to take a look at menopause and mental health today, giving you a basic overview of how a person might respond to this dynamic period of life. Let’s get started.
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Understanding Menopause and Mental Health
Menopause as well as the period of time leading up to it can all produce a number of significant hormonal changes to the body. Some of those might include hot flashes and the inability to sleep.
Hot flashes and sleep loss might impact a person’s mental health significantly. Sleep and emotional health have a strong correlation.
A shift in hormone levels, mainly those of estrogen and estradiol, produces a chain reaction through a number of systems in the body. Hormones don’t just serve one or two roles, they operate in myriad ways, propping up other neurochemicals and hormones in other systems.
Each hormone is a keystone in the balance of the physical and mental health that we’ve enjoyed throughout life. So, when one of those essential hormones reduces itself, various aspects of the body go into flux.
There’s a correlation between hormonal changes and light depression. The relationship between these changes and anxiety is less clear, although hot flashes contribute to sudden bursts of anxiety.
Stronger Symptoms and Causes
The connection between light depression and hormonal changes is clear, But individuals sometimes go through a deep depression during menopause.
Depression and anxiety are complex issues, so the particular reasons in each case might be unique. Menopause signals a perceived important personal transition. That might produce some of the more nuanced layers of depression and anxiety.
The transition marks the true end of childbearing years, which is a difficult thing to give up for some people. Cultural ideas about aging might come into play for individuals in different parts of the world. There’s often a feeling that aging reduces beauty or limits a person’s ability to live a meaningful life.
There’s no evidence to suggest that either of those things is always true. That said, it’s hard to remove one’s self from cultural messaging that prioritizes youth.
In any case, these issues are temporary. It’s possible to work through them and get out healthier on the other side. Consult with groups like https://www.letstalkmenopause.org/ to work through mental health issues and find some clarity.
Are You Dealing With Menopause?
The relationship between menopause and mental health is a complex one. It’s one that researchers are understanding more about all of the time, though. It’s important that you learn all you can if you’re going through menopause.
We’re here to help with more information. Explore our site for more ideas on menopause, mental wellbeing, lifestyle tips, and much more.