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How Menopause Affects Emotions: Depression, Anxiety, and Mood Swings

Many women going through the menopause transition experience unexpected changes in mood. The most common is mood swings, in which a person abruptly feels sad, angry, or giddy without an apparent trigger for the emotion. It is also possible for women to experience depression, anxiety, and panic attacks during menopause, especially if they experienced them earlier in life as well. While these emotional changes may seem random, they all have a cause, and Macafem is one tool to get back on track.

how menopause affects emotions depression anxiety mood swings

The Connection between Mood and Menopause

So many factors can influence mood during the menopause transition. The primary reason is fluctuations in hormone levels, namely estrogen. These hormones play a role in regulating mood, so changes can result in mood swings and other emotional symptoms. Hormonal imbalance also causes other menopause symptoms – such as night sweats and loss of libido – which can impact mood as well.

For many women, the menopause transition coincides with major life events that can decrease emotional well-being. Having an empty nest or splitting with a partner are just some examples of outside factors that can contribute to changes in mood.

How to Uplift Mood

Treating mood swings, as well as depressive and anxious feelings, can be approached in several different ways. These are the first steps forward:

  • Go out for a walk. Alongside hormonal imbalance, not partaking in enough physical activity is a risk factor for mood swings and depression. Going out on a walk can be a solo activity to clear your head, with friends or family for conversation, or even with your dog for the unique companionship and stress relief that pets provide.
  • Prioritize sleep. Quality sleep is so important for maintaining a stable mood and reducing stress. With everything going on in life, sacrificing hours of sleep to get things done can become routine. Even so, specifically carve out enough time to get seven to eight hours of sleep nightly. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.
  • Take comfort in a group. When emotional changes appear, potential isolation becomes a real problem. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friends and family about what you are going through with the menopause transition and your emotions. Chatting with other women via menopause support groups, whether online or in person, can help you know that you are not alone.

Balancing hormone levels is another important part of managing mood changes during menopause. Macafem can relieve mood swings because its beneficial alkaloids provide nourishment to the hormonal glands. With the support of this natural supplement, the glands can produce hormones at balanced levels, helping to uplift mood and relieve menopause symptoms that could also be triggering changes in temperament.

While Macafem can help with symptoms of depression, it is crucial to keep in mind that anxiety or depression that continues for two weeks or more is considered clinical. Depression or anxiety to this degree should be treated by a professional – all sufferers are deserving of help and should not have to bear their experiences alone.

Beetz, A. et al. (2012). Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The Possible Role of Oxytocin. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 234. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234
Freeman, E.W. (2010). Associations of depression with the transition to menopause. Menopause, 17(4), 823-827. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181db9f8b.
Graziottin, A. & Serafini, A. (2009). Depression and the menopause: why antidepressants are not enough? Menopause International, 15(2), 76-81. doi: 10.1258/mi.2009.009021
Office on Women's Health. (2010). Menopause and mental health. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://womenshealth.gov/menopause/menopause-mental-health/
University of California Los Angeles Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. (n.d.). Perimenopause & Menopause. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from https://www.semel.ucla.edu/mood/about/menopause