Menopause & Stress

The transition from a woman's reproductive years into peri-menopause and then into full menopause may be a walk in the park for some. For others, it's a difficult and stressful time. Some of the stress that menopausal women encounter comes from the various physical and mental symptoms that are caused by fluctuating hormones. You don't feel well; your body is doing things that it has never done before, and you are tired and achy. On top of that, add the normal stresses--children, grandchildren, elderly parents, husband, no husband, marriage, divorce, work, or no work, household chores, money woes--and this can put a woman right on the edge at times.

Emotions

• According to WomensHealth.org, menopause means different things to different women. To some, it's no big deal. To others, it's a great relief and much looked forward to. They no longer have to deal with menstrual periods and pregnancy fears. For others, it may be a sad time because it is the end of their reproductive years. Even if a woman doesn't want more children, factually knowing that she can no longer reproduce if she chose to may be a bitter pill to swallow. If a woman has never had a child, this is when she realizes that motherhood is never going to be. She may have already known that intellectually but hadn't emotionally accepted that it was a fait accompli until her menses stopped. It's the end of that chapter in her life. This can prompt sadness, stress, anxiety and even depression.

Pre-Existing Conditions

• Menopausal women are middle-aged or even post-middle-aged and may be dealing with other pre-existing physical problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or arthritis. Add to that menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, irritable bowels, inability to sleep, weight gain, joint pain, hair loss and irritability, and it is no surprise that some menopausal women (and their families) get stressed. Once you near menopause, you begin to become more susceptible to osteoporosis, which is porous bone disease and can lead to multiple fractures. You are now at a higher risk for heart disease. This can't be ignored and you must take precautions such as eating right, exercising, taking vitamins and trying to get your stress under control.

Adrenal Fatigue

• Ongoing stress can interfere with the proper function of the adrenal gland. This gland assists in the production of estrogen after menopause, when other estrogen sources have long dried up. Women need this estrogen. If the adrenal gland becomes exhausted, this source of estrogen is going to disappear. Womenshealth.org recommends doing yoga or any kind of activity that relaxes you and provides physical exercise. This should help reduce your stress and maintain the health of your adrenal gland.

Be Kind to Yourself and Make A Plan

• The Mayo Clinic recommends that a woman who is menopausal take particularly good care of herself at this important, and potentially stressful, time of her life. There are conventional methods of approaching menopause and its symptoms, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), although the attendant risks must be taken into consideration. There is an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease associated with HRT. There are also alternative methods, such as taking herbs to quash your symptoms and get your body back into balance.

Eat Well and Right

• Eating well is imperative, according to Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic. Learn which foods are good for you, and which you should avoid because they can aggravate hot flashes and induce bloating.