At the start of menopause, most women undergo a plethora of changes in their bodies. It’s not uncommon for girls to feel frustrated with those modifications, along with feeling unhappy in their inability to conceive anymore. In fact, signs of depression and anxiety at both menopausal and perimenopausal phases of a woman’s lifetime are perfectly ordinary. Both these psychological conditions are 2 of the 34 menopause symptoms.
The causes of anxiety and depression during menopause can be either physical or psychological. Some researchers believe that the decrease in oestrogen level triggers changes in the brain, causing depression. Another opinion is that the other signs of menopause, like hot flushes, fatigue, sleep problems and night sweats cause these feelings.
Menopause happens to women, in their twilight years. There are exceptions of course, but that is generally the standard. At the point in their lives, the majority of women find themselves in a predicament where the active,active and involved life she’d, establishing house and bringing up children, is beyond and she has time on her hands, most frequently the empty nest syndrome, and perhaps a feeling of not being needed anymore. With these come the physical signs of melancholy, the hot flushes, the exhaustion, the night sweats and several others. Everything combined may unexpectedly become overwhelming and lead to anxiety attacks, nervousness and eventually, for many, depression.
Depression is a disorder brought on by biological factors. Some hormones in the brain, especially serotonin, regulate our disposition. A drop in the serotonin level can cause mood alterations and melancholy. There are indications that between 8% and 15 percent of menopausal women suffer with depression of some kind. Depression because of menopause is the most likely to strike during perimenopause, the stage leading up to menopause.
The Root of menopausal depression are still under debate, but there are various theories suggesting why such a High Number of women experience mood disorders during menopause.The two Chief factors, as already mentioned previously are :
- The strain of dealing with the other symptoms of menopause.
- Fluctuating levels of hormones in the body.
Other Matters that can Lead to Depression
- Not being physically active.
- Having troubles in a relationship.
- Financial Issues.
- Employment problems.
- Having low self esteem.
- Regret over not being able to have children any more.
- Not having a strong support system.
Risk variables
A woman having a history of depression and / or mood disorders, are at an increased risk of developing depression during menopause. This is more important to women who have experienced depression in their twenties. Also at high risk are women who have gone through surgical menopause, since surgery causes a dramatic drop in oestrogen levels. Other girls more likely to experience depressionduring menopause are smokers, those who have young kids and those who are under a great deal of anxiety.
Nonetheless, whatever the cause,it is important to find immediate and proper help, as left untreated, it may have severe physical and emotional side effects.
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