Menopause and Mood swings
Mood swings…am I right?
The devil really is in the details and perimenopause is proving that true in all kinds of unexpected ways. You’d think that as you start getting used to your body in this new era, those old mood swings from “that time of the month“ would be a thing of the past. Or maybe they’d lighten up a bit. But no, they’re still here, reminding you they’ve got horns.
These days, (ahem… more like years) I’m juggling a million things: being a mom, untangling the Telenovela-worthy plot twists of my life after losing my husband, adjusting to Italy, still learning the language, dating, and writing my blog. So, naturally, people wonder, “how is she even coherent?“. Well, I found my refuge and a huge sense of balance thanks to my bio identical hormones therapy HRT. It’s been a game changer in restoring my harmony and helping me feel like myself again. But, here’s the kicker, every month, even though I’ve officially entered post menopause since two months, my emotions are still in flux like it’s right around the corner. Why is this a thing? Why did no one mention this fiery emotional encore that mimics the start of menstruation? I mean, I might be feeling extra “feels-y“ as I write this. And it’s not that I’m mad at anyone. I simply noticed that for myself that there’s a 48 hour funk that seems to hit every month that has me swinging from anxiety, sadness, irritability, or even intense joy. The upside? It’s way shorter than the weeklong saga I had in my youth, so I’ll happily raise a glass to that.
Why is this happening?
Well, blame it on our fluctuating hormones (again…. Cue eye roll) where both progesterone and estrogen levels drop significantly. Those little troublemakers can stir up a whole cocktail of emotions that leave our mood lacking in patience or composure. During our fabulous 40s, as with myself and my aforementioned Telenovela, life cranks up the pressure cooker where stress becomes our constant companion. A small percentage of us get to’ enjoy’ mood swings that actually rival PMS irritability and they can strike at any moment. These delightful symptoms don’t wait for our menstrual cycle to make an appearance. Yikes! Well, as the famous modern architect Mies van der Rohe famously said “less is more”. So we have that to look forward to. Wink wink.
Solutions, please…
One obvious way to finding relief to these pesky and sometimes epic mood swings is by first having an open chat with your OB/GYN. For those who are sensing the first signs of perimenopause, your doctor can run a blood test to see if your hormones are throwing a ‘raging’ party without your consent. And for those who have already RSVP’d to the perimenopause club, your HTR might need recalibrating for a better balance. Your doctor can also help identify if your emotions are linked to a mental health condition and refer you to a psychiatrist. While antidepressants are often prescribed in these cases, I’m cautious about them, as they sometimes worsen depression and anxiety due to their side effects such as more weight gain, headaches, dizziness, and GI issues. Personally, I’m a big believer in natural therapies. Though they may work more gradually than modern medicine they do come with one major perk: little and manageable side effects. Because no one wants their solution to feel like another problem.
One natural way of managing stress can start with prioritizing sleep. Poor sleep has a sneaky way of wreaking havoc on our moods, muddling decision-making, and making it harder to handle emotions or every day challenges. So, embrace the early bedtime if it means getting quality rest. Though you may wake up before the rest of the house stirs, it can give you a rare moment of solitude to care for yourself and start the day feeling a little more like you. And normalize taking naps as needed. Ashwganda supplements have be tooted to help those (ie. all of us) who have sleeping issues. This herb also has mood stabilizing effects as well as many other amazingly positive benefits. (See my blog titled Glutathione vs. Ashwagandha.) Also magnesium has been found to relax your muscles and aid your body to find sleep.
In the end…
We all know that a healthy lifestyle can be achieved through proper elimination of certain things such as caffeine, sugar, cigarettes, alcohol, blah blah blah. I don’t advocate for a complete elimination of those things as I think Us women need and deserve to have something to help us to destress. I do, however, agree with the classic stress busters, like meditation, yoga or pilates, listening and dancing to music, massage therapy, sex, taking a long hot bath, or even journaling can work wonders on our mood (and maybe in that exact order). So let’s not forget the magic of simply carving out time for ourselves to unwind because every little bit.
I am an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made from the links in this blog. Thank you so much for your support!