Perimenopause and Anxiety
Reading an article the other day I ran across this statement in an article “We are born, we grow up, we age, and then we die.” Well, I thought, isn’t that just a warm and cozy definition of life? I’m thinking the person who wrote that could have expanded their statement just a little bit more or possibly needed some excitement in their life, wouldn’t you agree?
Thankfully, there’s a whole lot of living and hopefully a long and rewarding period of time from the start to the finish of our life journey. But today, I would like to zero in on one part of the aging process that we as women will go through; menopause or to be exact, perimenopause and the occurrence of anxiety resulting from hormonal changes that some women will experience.
HORMONAL CHANGES
Ahh, the fun times we have with our hormones always on the move. Right ladies? Yeah, I think I know how you answered. Our reproductive cycles can exert great influence over our emotions and mental health as we all know and have experienced.
During the “pre-menopausal transition” our levels of estrogen and progesterone decline with each cycle. And of course they don’t just decline in a nice, even flowing pattern. Instead, it’s a herky-jerky ride down the hill. We can actually have dramatic hormone surges (very high levels of estrogen) to crashes (low levels of estrogen) while our ovaries are transitioning to menopause. It’s the crashes that can trigger the anxiety and panic attacks.
COMPLEX CAUSES OF PERIMENOPAUSAL ANXIETY
Mood changes are listed as a common complaint associated with perimenopause, and anxiety is an extremely common condition. However, the cause of anxiety from perimenopause is not as simple as saying it just being hormonal. There are actually a range of causes that can all interact with each other that may lead to anxiety during this time.
HORMONES – While hormones are not the sole reason to be blamed for anxiety during this transitional time, they do certainly play a role. Hormones have a direct link to the production and management of neurotransmitters in the brain. When these chemicals are altered during menopause it can lead to a considerable amount of mental stress and trouble coping.
BODY CHANGES – More than just hormones are changing. Many changes take place that can change the way we feel and change the amount of stress that our body is under. The changes to a woman’s body and appearance as she gets older and goes through menopause can worsen self-esteem that is already low. The more stress our bodies experience, the more stressful thoughts we have and the result is often anxiety.
FEAR OF THE CHANGES – Getting older, just the thought can bring on anxiety. Menopause is one of those things that is a pretty substantial life event. It’s the first real body change that is related to a woman getting older, prompting her to think about her past and future. Some woman can feel a real sense of disappointment knowing it’s not possible to have children anymore.
SYMPTOM STRESS – Some of the symptoms of perimenopause can be stressful all on their own. Hot flashes, need I say more? Most of the time they don’t come when it is convenient. You can try to be prepared to handle it when they come but sometimes the adjustments you make are insufficient. Thereby not only the hot flashes themselves but also the fear of having them can contribute to further anxiety. Night sweats can wake a woman out of a sound sleep or make it difficult to get to sleep in the first place which can lead to fatigue making a woman feel irritable and unable to concentrate.
UNRELATED ANXIETY – Perimenopause tends to come at a time when other anxieties are high. During this period many changes are going on with our life situations. Children are going off to college, getting married, or moving out of the house. Our parents might be needing our help more now that they are getting older. The reasons can be many but sometimes what is blamed on menopause can be nothing more than ordinary stress of life that just happens to coincide with our own change of life.
These are just a few of the potential issues that can contribute to some form of anxiety. So we see that we really can’t just blame our hormones but in all probability it is a mixture of any and all of the issues above.
MANAGING THE ANXIETY
Anxiety is always anxiety, no matter the cause. Some women might be more prone to anxiety than others due to hormonal changes or life stresses. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, like smoking or not getting enough physical activity or not eating right can also factor into a woman’s vulnerability to anxiety no matter what stage of life she is in. However, anyone can find that their anxiety can be managed if they dedicate time to effective anxiety reduction strategies.
So, if you are in “that” time of life and you are struggling with anxiety I invite you to give me a call at (616) 516-1570 and together let’s find out how to manage it and see if there are some considerations you might need to make to improve your physical and mental health.
