Depression and Menopause
A Few Tips For Identifying Depression as a Result of Menopause
by Kenneth L. Meyer
One of the key indicators regarding the onset of menopause are mood swings. In additon, we are learning that due to the changes women go through during the menopausal journey, depression is often a byproduct.
1. Menopausal Women Frequently Become Depressed
The drastic hormonal imbalance that can occur in pre-menopuse can create marked mood swings.
Many women are not aware that it is the hormonial imbalance causing the mood swings so they won’t present themselves for a solution and the mood swings lead to depression.
2. No Previous History of Depression Is Needed or Found
Many, many time women who become depressed in pre-menopause had no previous history of depression.
Because of having no previous history of depression many pre-menopausal women will ignore the depression they are going through and the situation worsens because they are not treating the cause.
3. Quality of Life Suffers
Most of the time when a pre-menopausal women suffers symptoms and boughts of depression it worsens and they can not only develop mood swing symptoms and behavior but can suffer from severe migranes.
When all the symptoms and behaviors are added together it can strain most of the relationships pre-menopasal women are in and dramatically worsen their quality of life. In addition, it becomes more difficult for those around the women to understand and deal with the depression/menopausal behavior and many relaitonships end at this point.
4. Two Pronged Approach Can Help
Firstly, changing the diet in pre-menopause and menopause to one of more soy orientation can help to reduce the mood swings and degree of depression…again, we are what we eat.
Secondly, hormone replacement therapy, when properly maintained, can also reduce the severity of depression and mood swing symptoms.
By understanding that depression can be in some women an almost automatic result of being pre-menopausal, women can find relief not only for some symptoms but family relationships can be improved during this time.
