Posted by herbmaster on Aug 18, 2009 in Uncategorized
As your body travels through the seasons of change into the menopause, depression can often strike.Feelings of abandonment, lonliness and despair are just some of the feelings anyone who suffers from menopause depression will feel. Like all forms of depression that leave you feeling empty, alone and helpless, menopause depression poses as no exception. Menopause depression can last for years or be over in a matter of days, there’s no way of gauging it’s lifespan.
It’s a common misconception that menopause actually causes depression however it isn’t, it does weaken the mind psychological resilience though. Depression becomes more prevalent at the time of menopause at it’s a vulnerable time of life however is not the cause.Purely from a physical aspect, the body is going through huge changes due to irregular fluctuations in hormone levels that on their own merits can lead to an overwhelming sense of despair.With estrogen levels fast reducing you’ll undoubtedly find that your energy levels are not what they used to be.The fatigue you experience just won’t go, even with a good nights sleep.
The mind also feels this tiredness.Some women find the menopause one of the hardest stages of life for them to cope with, the loss of the ability to bear children is replaced with grey hair and aging skin, whereas some women just seem to take it all in their stride.We’ve all heard of the term ‘midlife crisis’ to describe the negative feelings of despondency that both sexes can experience.Melancholy thoughts of past years and time running out without fulfilling ambitions can whirl round your mind compounding the feelings of negativity.
Many find they experience a feeling of emptiness around this time.Sufferers are at greatest risk of menopause depression during the perimenopausal phase.The feelings of menopause depression can be erratic at the best of times so it’s important not to suffer alone and seek the right care.Sufferers have a number of choices available when seeking out a treatment for menopause depression and traditional medicine is one to consider.
The hormone governing your moods is called serotonin and this can reduce when other hormones become erratic, antidepressants are often prescribed as a way of raising the levels of serotonin back up.The idea of hormone replacement therapy is to top up the deficiencies of hormones that your body is suffering from.The body is a finely tuned machine, once hormones become erratic this can have a direct effect on our moods.There’s no doubt that taking estrogen tablets can boost your moods.
Don’t suffer in silence, there’s really no need, you’ll find an instant relief on your symptoms by expressing yourself to someone close. Reaching out and discussing feelings is sometimes all that’s needed to combat the effects of menopause depression.
Tags: antidepressants, depression, estrogen, hormone replacement therapy, hrt, Menopause, menopause depression, midlife crisis, perimenopause, serotonin
Posted by herbmaster on Aug 16, 2009 in Uncategorized
As your body travels through the seasons of change into the menopause, depression can often strike. Depression during menopause is totally different to feeling ‘a bit down’ it can leave you feeling a huge sense of despair and isolation. As with any other kind of depression, the one experienced during menopause is no less aggressive and often causes the sufferer to feel intense feelings of loneliness, abandonment, helplessness and lack of energy with life in general. The worrying aspect of this type of depression ia that there is no guarantee it will end after the menopause is over.
It’s been found that menopause is not a cause of depression in itself. Depression at the time of menopause can be coincidental and be a result from many different factors.On a physical level, the upheaval of the hormone levels changing can incur massive changes in the body which in itself can be very debilitating.As estrogen levels deplete you can find that you lack the energies you once had.Your body takes on a new form of tiredness that a good nights sleep can no longer shift.
Your mind also goes through these symptoms as well.Some women simply sail through the menopause effortlessly while others have a far harder time accepting that their youth is fading and the days of having children are drawing to a close.This is the time of life that some claim to have a midlife crisis and it’s widely known that men can go through similar feelings of being useless and unwanted, that life has passed them by with nothing more to look forward to.Destructive mindsets of feeling as though you haven’t lived life to the full, wasted youth and life holding nothing more can fill your mind.
It’s not unusual to feel this way.Menopause depression is very common indeed and is most likely to occur in the perimenopausal phase.Pinpointing the reasons for these emotional lows can be complex but the first road to recovery is that of acceptance that you need some help to get back on track.A choice for treating menopause depression would be to get help from a doctor.
Doctors can prescribe prescription strength antidepressants as part of the treatment, these are basically mood enhancing drugs.Some doctors will prescribe antidepressants in order to artificially boost your moods by increasing serotonin which is the hormone in charge of your moods.Hormone replacement therapy is a well known treatment for menopause depression as this aims to boost the decreasing estrogen levels.When the levels of certain hormones, especially estrogen, drops suddenly, this in turn can effect the part of the brain that’s responsible for your moods.Estrogen can easily be taken in tablet form to counteract the low moods and give a feeling of euphoria.
It’s important not to be silent about your feelings as this in itself can feed the negative emotions, talking to a close friend, partner or a counsellor can help to lift the heavy weight that your low moods can have on you. Being open about your emotions is sometimes all you need to overcome menopause depression.
Tags: depression, estrogen, hormone replacement therapy, hrt, Menopause, meopause depression, midlife crisis
