Emotions After Menopause

Menopause can feel like a roller coaster ride of unsettling emotions. Most women report feeling high one day and low the next. Fluctuating emotions can wreck havoc on women's lives and leave them feeling lost with nowhere to turn. Emotions during menopause can feel similar to the emotions experienced during PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

Cause

• When estrogen, progesterone and androgens fluctuate, they cause effects on an individual's mental state. Serotonin levels in the brain are controlled by these hormones. The chemical serotonin is responsible for manipulating mood. When serotonin drops, so does your mood; conversely, the more it rises, the better you feel.

Emotions

• Each menopausal woman experiences emotional changes differently. However, most women will experience fluctuating emotions at some stage during menopause. The most common reported feelings are of sadness, anxiety and aggression. Menopause tends to reduce the feelings of happiness and contentment by lowering the natural levels of female hormones. Thus, it is completely normal to feel unhappy or even worrisome during these bodily changes. It is typical for menopausal women to feel aggressive or defensive as hormones rage and emotions fluctuate.

Changes

• As different emotional changes are occurring, women tend to experience change in every aspect of their lives. Women feel irritable as their bodies, hormones and psyche adapt or modify in response to menopause. Difficulty concentrating is reported and memory loss is attributed to changes in concentration. The stress experienced during this life transition causes feelings of tension and can even result in fatigue.

Relief

• Taking care of our bodies is always important, but it is especially important during menopause. Get enough sleep. When the body is asleep the brain can focus on repairing itself and level out unsteady chemical imbalances. Eating right maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and exercise, even in small amounts, increases serotonin. During exercise, natural mood enhancers like endorphins rise, making the negative emotions associated with menopause dissipate.

Coping

• Staying calm and focused during menopause is key. Harsh and unstable emotions can be reduced through yoga, meditation and deep-breathing exercises. Take the time to find out what techniques alleviate feelings of emotional strain for you and rejoice in those activities. Exploring new creative outlets is a way to release negative or stressful emotions. The most important thing a woman can do during menopause is to listen to her body, feel her emotions and act accordingly. If you feel stressed, stop and relax. If you feel tired, rest. And if you feel sad, take the opportunity to do something positive to elevate your mood.