Menopausal Depression – Causes and Treatment

Feelings like stress, stress, depression, listlessness, irritability tearfulness and mood swings can happen at any age, but they seldom happen jointly or as often as they do during the menopause.

Should you be experiencing several negative feelings concurrently, it may be helpful to understand the menopause is the motive.

For many girls, menopausal mood changes resemble a roller coaster ride. Girls describe subtle senses for example quivering, fluttering, unease and distress. More intense feelings of stress or panic can appear with little provocation. Jobs that you used to have the capacity to undertake can leave you in complete disarray. Mood swings from elation to despondency are common. Your patience is readily exhausted. The future may seem hopeless, your loss of self esteem is precipitous, and you may feel really depressed.

What Are The Causes?

■ The centers in the brain that control a sense of wellbeing, a favorable mind-set, and a sense of control and tranquillity are influenced by the lack of oestrogen. Taking oestrogen supplements as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can cause a remarkable return to normality.

■ For some girls, the psychological troubles they experience around the menopause may largely be because of the fact that their slumber is being interrupted by night sweats. Those who are tired are frequently irritable and restless. If you’re experiencing this issue, attempt the self help suggestions for encouraging sleep on.

■ A major depression, although uncommon, can descend upon you during your menopausal years, and this is different from other psychological symptoms which you may experience, like tearfulness and stress. These are potential predictors of depression during the menopause:

• a previous or recent history of trying events, like di *x”>>rce or bereavement
• a surgically-induced menopause
• having negative expectancies of menopause
• intense hot flushes or night sweats
• a family history of depressive illness
• “empty nest” syndrome.

Depression may be a debilitating illness that can survive for weeks, months or even years if left untreated. It changes your body, your disposition, your ideas and seriously interferes with ordinary life. As a girl, you’re more likely to experience depression than a guy is.

Consult your physician if you’ve experienced four of these symptoms for at least two weeks:

• any extreme eating routines, for example bingeing or loss of desire
• uncommon sleep patterns, including sleeping on a regular basis or sleeplessness
• being extremely lethargic or uneasy
• an inability to appreciate a once pleasurable task, including a loss of sex drive
• debilitating tiredness or loss of energy
• feelings of worthlessness and self reproach
• trouble focusing, remembering and making choices
• ideas of death or suicide, or suicide attempts (seek help straight away).

Complementary Therapies

Herbs which could have a calming effect are passion flower and valerian root, taken as a tea or a tincture. Passion flower helps sleeplessness, and elevates the levels of serotonin in the blood, which creates a sense of wellbeing.

A herbal bath may also be healing. Some girls find that menopausal depression and pressure may be relieved by ginger, cayenne pepper, dandelion root and Siberian ginseng. These may work because they include vital nutrients; for instance:

• dandelion root includes magnesium, potassium and vitamin E
• cayenne pepper includes a high amount of magnesium and bioflavonoids
• ginseng includes oestrogenic compounds, and Siberian ginseng and liquorice root, which have been significant medications in the Far East for thousands of years, are said to fight lassitude and depression.

Clinical Treatment

The mainstay of treatment for mental symptoms is HRT. Studies from around the world reveal that after a brief interval (between two weeks and two months) HRT can bring about an important decline in stress and depression. Oestrogen even lifts the disposition in non-blue, healthy young women. It acts through several well known antidepressive mechanisms in the brain, on which other antidepressant drugs additionally work. The tranquillizing effect of oestrogen is at least the equivalent of that of tranquillizers including diazepam and chlorodiazepoxide, and oestrogen is a whole lot fitter to take.

Self Help

Handling Depression

■ Acute mood swings and irritability can distance you from your partner and sometimes can endanger a relationship. But if you share your feelings you may discover your partner is really encouraging. Several studies demonstrate that partners

are sharp to comprehend menopausal symptoms and would prefer to have insight into possible issues before the start of menopause.

■ Girls who go to self help groups may be better able to take care of depression. Consider joining such a group or starting one yourself.

■ 20-30 minutes of strenuous exercise leads to the release of endorphins, which are brain opioids much like morphine. This can lift mood and create an “exercise high” that continues up to eight hours. Exercise may also reduce hot flushes and night sweats, which is helpful if these are the cause of your depression.

■ Yoga, relaxation techniques and meditation all encourage tranquillity and fight stress and stress.

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