Depression during Menopause

Menopause is a disease associated with biological factors. It occurs in every woman as they grow old. This makes it difficult to deal with it. There are many beliefs associated with menopause depression. Some people associate menopause with depression. Some believe that menopause and depression occur simultaneously. The symptoms of menopause and depressions are similar. They include hot flashes, irritability, sleep disorders, anxiety, change in food habits, and lack of interest in any activity. Women are more prone to depression during menopause than men. 

The visible depression symptoms and menopause symptoms in women are dejection, feeling extremely sad, melancholy, and worthlessness. This is caused by the less secretion of the hormone ‘serotonin’ in the body which is responsible for the mood fluctuations. They also experience extreme sadness and confusion. It may also trigger the feeling of suicidal tendencies in them. These things are quite normal in women. Care should be taken to handle this situation otherwise it would lead to severe health problems. 

The first step that should be considered is that you should clearly understand the problem. Women, most susceptible to the disease, are those women, who had undergone some surgery, smoking, had managed many children, or had a stressful life. Apart from these, women with premenstrual syndrome and postpartum depression are also highly vulnerable to depression. Depression during menopause can be effectively treated with the help of doctor’s treatment. 

Some physical problems are also associated with depression during menopause. They include stressful relationships, divorce, and anxiety about the life when you grow old. 

Tips for managing menopause depression are enlisted below:  

Basically, there is no cure for menopause. Some doctors recommend hormonal therapy as a treatment. We can undertake some simple steps as a strategy to cope depression during menopause. They are enlisted below: 

• Undergo regular medical examination. It would help you to keep a track all the changes taking place in the body and take necessary precautions
• Regular exercise and right nutrition
• Relax using meditation and yoga
• Opt for other herbal medicines and therapies that help you to curb its effects
• There are many tests available online that can be utilized to find out whether you are depressed or not
• Adopt changes in lifestyle that will foster the treatment of depression
• Join social groups wherein you can share and discuss your problem. It would help you to control your anger and frustration
• You can also bring out your feelings by jotting them down in a dairy. This would help you to overcome the mood swings
• Family members could support the patient by giving him/her a hearing to his/her problems and also helping him/her to overcome the depression
• Make a trip to a nearby garden or tourist place. Take a break from the stressful life
• Counseling sessions of psychologist may also help to overcome it

 The most common symptoms of menopause are depression and frequent bouts of anger. Fighting depression is possible when proper care and support is provided to women during menopause. You can adopt different coping strategies and bring down the effect of depression. There is another option available of using antidepressants for depression treatment for women. 

The most common mistake made by women is they consider menopause as a normal thing in the process of aging and don’t treat them or even consult a doctor. Misconceptions related to depression during menopause should be removed and by adopting simple techniques you could easily cope up with depression. You should also change your attitude towards these bodily changes. It would assist you to deal with its effects and also bring you out of depression.