How Menopause Can Affect Your Mental Health

October is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to shed light on how different conditions affect your mood. Much like puberty and pregnancy, hormonal changes during menopause can wreak havoc on your emotions and mental health. 

These major milestones and transitional periods in your life mean you may need a little extra support, and that’s OK. 

Board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Ifeanyi Olele of Genesis Psychiatric Solutions offers comprehensive women's mental health services including mental health care before and after menopause. 

Menopause and mental health

Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and urinary difficulties are all common complaints when it comes to menopause. Discussion surrounding these issues has become more acceptable and accessible. 

But conversations about the mental and emotional rollercoaster of menopause are harder to have. That's doubly unfortunate because women are often expected to simply keep going, despite challenging events like pregnancy and menopause.

Even if you don’t think you’re struggling with mood swings or depression, menopause is a time of great change, and you might want to get ahead of the curve with your mental health. You can open up to a trusted friend or loved one and ask for an honest take on how they think you are.

Talking to a psychiatrist with experience in women’s mental health can help you find peace and clarity during this new stage in your life. 

Don’t dismiss (or let others around you dismiss) feelings of depression or anxiety or wildly swinging moods as normal for women going through the change. Your mental health is important, and you deserve support.

Assessing your mental health  

Many women aren’t aware of the extent of the mental health challenges you can face due to menopause. Hormonal changes and discomfort that menopause triggers can damage your emotional well-being, making it harder to cope with stress and navigate life. 

Mood swings and loss of libido are two major concerns during menopause, since they can put strain on your personal relationships. These stressors can contribute to depression and anxiety, which tend to manifest or worsen with hormonal imbalance. 

A daily journal is a good way to track mental health. You don’t have to spend a long time on it. Just take a minute to list three good and three bad things that happened during your day, and rate your mood on a scale of 1-10. 

You’ll soon be able to spot out-of-the-ordinary patterns, including sequential bad days, crying, or outbursts that are out of character.

When to seek mental health services

If you notice that your emotions are all over the place and that you’re having distinct mood swings or other symptoms, your doctor may recommend testing for hormonal imbalances that might be making things worse. 

Whether you find yourself struggling or just want some guidance as you face down menopause, help is available. Dr. Olele is available for both in-office and telehealth visits. Don’t let menopause derail your mental health.

To discuss your experience and learn more about how menopause can affect your mental health, call the location closest to you or request a consultation online. We’re located in Fairfax and Alexandria, Virginia, and in Washington, DC.