Menopause

Reasons for Menopausal Mood Swings

by Staff

“I have one nerve left and you’re on it!” That may be only one of many chants a woman experiencing the wonders of menopause may express. Although some women never really go through the intense ups-downs, inside-outs, and-sideways of menopausal mood swings, a large number do.

Of course, it’s no secret that the major culprit for the seeming irrational and erratic behaviors is the fluctuation and decrease of hormones. However, there are some other factors that your moods may be swinging like Tarzan across the landscape of your life.

A Super Sensitive State Of Mind

For instance, you just might be one of those sensitive types of women – the kind that is hypersensitive to any hormonal changes that happen in your body. Were you a PMS Major before you hit menopause? Did you have post-partum depression when your babies were born? Was pregnancy an emotional turmoil? If so, you may be one of those precious souls who bottoms out every time your estrogen plummets. A chat with your doctor to see about a short course of hormone therapy might be a good fix if this describes you.

Menopause Depression

Actually, women who have a history of depression are more inclined to struggle with mood swings during menopause than those who haven’t had to deal with it. If you’ve been on anti-depressants or medications to level out your emotions, then when menopause comes around you may find yourself revisiting some old familiar feelings. At the very first hint of depression, see your doctor immediately. You don’t want to go back there and it isn’t weak to ask for help. You may just need to have your hormones tweaked a bit. The sooner you intervene and cut the line, the better you and everyone around you will feel.

Sleep Deprived-You Can’t Help But Be Cranky

Sleep is a catch-22 for most menopausal women. If you’re not up changing your bedclothes because you’re soaking wet, then you may lie in the bed staring at the ceiling because you can’t quiet your mind from worry. Sleep apnea and snoring can rob you of sleep as well. Getting enough rest is really critical to maintaining balance with your moods. There actually is help for you. Treating hot flashes, sleep disorders, or stress can be the ticket to a good night’s sleep – which will make you a much nicer, even-tempered person in the daytime.

Busy and Stressed Out

Do you have way too much going on in your life? Change is great – but too much change or stress can definitely take its toll on your moods and emotions. Kids leaving home (or coming back again), marital issues, work related problems, money problems, illness, moving, on and on it goes and they are all common occurrences during this period of life. Unfortunately, they can stretch you beyond your limits and take you to the end of your rope. Now, it is true that reducing stress is sometimes easier said than done, but the fact remains that if you can get a handle on the stressors in your life, your moods will settle down as well. Superwoman needs to take off her cape every once in a while and let other people carry the load. There’s no shame in asking for support and it’s amazing how great you feel when you get it.

You Are Getting Older

Perhaps one of the most difficult realizations for a woman is that she’s getting older. One day you look in the mirror and your mother is looking back at you. When did that happen? Suddenly you don’t feel so happy. Getting older may take the wind out of your sails or make you feel sad or angry. You might even blame being menopausal for the way you’re feeling. The fact is it might just not be menopause at all. It might just be that you really don’t like the fact you’re getting older. If you are resisting getting older, you might want to step back and take a look at your paradigm around older people. Some rethinking might need to take place. Aging isn’t a death sentence – it is actually an incredible time to do things you couldn’t or didn’t do years ago. But, you have to find that out for yourself.

Learn more about Mood Swings And Menopause

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