May 31, 2023
Learn about the link between menopause and anxiety, explore why menopause can cause anxiety, and discover strategies to manage menopause mood swings.
Many women experience mood, anxiety and panic disorders for the first time during their menopausal years. These disorders can feel overwhelmingly debilitating, frequently manifesting as panic attacks. These sudden episodes of intense fear are all hallmarks of an activated fight-or-flight response, governed by the sympathetic nervous system.
Understanding the triggers and changes happening within the body during menopause can help reduce the stress linked to these discomforting physiological changes.
Anxiety can present in various ways, and it's essential to note that not everyone will experience the same symptoms. The symptoms range from physical symptoms, cognitive and psychological symptoms.
Some of the common anxiety symptoms include:
It's important to speak to your doctor if you're experiencing these symptoms or are concerned.
Certain factors can increase a woman's risk of experiencing anxiety during the menopause transition. Some of these include:
It's important to note that while these factors may increase the risk, they do not guarantee that a woman will experience an anxiety disorder during menopause. Also, women who do not have any of these risk factors can still experience anxiety and panic attacks.
One of the key causes of heightened anxiety during the perimenopause and menopause period is the fluctuation and alteration in hormone signalling. The decline in hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone has a significant impact on mood and physical health.
Both the decline in oestrogen and progesterone can increase the risk of panic attacks. There are a few reasons as to why this happens.
Oestrogen has an inhibitory effect on cortisol, a stress hormone. As oestrogen levels drop, cortisol levels rise, impacting blood sugar levels, inflammatory response, insulin levels, and blood pressure. Moreover, oestrogen significantly influences the brain chemical serotonin, a mood stabiliser. As oestrogen decreases during menopause, so does serotonin, leading to less stable moods, and potentially causing anxiety, depression, and panic.
Progesterone typically has a calming and relaxing effect on the brain's circuitry. Its decline during menopause can contribute to heightened anxiety and mood swings.
Apart from these biochemical influences, social and environmental factors can also impact the risk and prevalence of panic disorder during menopause. This increases the importance of stress management during this life phase.
It's important to speak to your doctor about your own mental health needs leading up to menopause and during. There are many treatment options available.
Lifestyle changes are an important part of managing mood swings and anxiety during menopause. These may include:
While menopause can indeed cause anxiety and mood swings, these changes are manageable with the right management. Through a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management techniques, and support from your healthcare team, you can navigate through menopause with more confidence and ease. Always remember, while menopause is a significant life transition, it's also a time for growth, transformation, and new beginnings.
The Vively app is an evidence-based tool that can provide guidance and support for women experiencing this significant life change. Vively can aid in improving glucose control, a key aspect of metabolic health that's often impacted during menopause. By closely monitoring your glucose levels and making necessary lifestyle and dietary adjustments, you can better manage menopause mood swings and anxiety.
Through Vively, you can receive personalised nutrition advice, monitor your metabolic health with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and track your progress, all in one place. This can significantly improve your health, reduce symptoms, and make the journey through menopause smoother and less stressful.
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Learn about the link between menopause and anxiety, explore why menopause can cause anxiety, and discover strategies to manage menopause mood swings.
Many women experience mood, anxiety and panic disorders for the first time during their menopausal years. These disorders can feel overwhelmingly debilitating, frequently manifesting as panic attacks. These sudden episodes of intense fear are all hallmarks of an activated fight-or-flight response, governed by the sympathetic nervous system.
Understanding the triggers and changes happening within the body during menopause can help reduce the stress linked to these discomforting physiological changes.
Anxiety can present in various ways, and it's essential to note that not everyone will experience the same symptoms. The symptoms range from physical symptoms, cognitive and psychological symptoms.
Some of the common anxiety symptoms include:
It's important to speak to your doctor if you're experiencing these symptoms or are concerned.
Certain factors can increase a woman's risk of experiencing anxiety during the menopause transition. Some of these include:
It's important to note that while these factors may increase the risk, they do not guarantee that a woman will experience an anxiety disorder during menopause. Also, women who do not have any of these risk factors can still experience anxiety and panic attacks.
One of the key causes of heightened anxiety during the perimenopause and menopause period is the fluctuation and alteration in hormone signalling. The decline in hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone has a significant impact on mood and physical health.
Both the decline in oestrogen and progesterone can increase the risk of panic attacks. There are a few reasons as to why this happens.
Oestrogen has an inhibitory effect on cortisol, a stress hormone. As oestrogen levels drop, cortisol levels rise, impacting blood sugar levels, inflammatory response, insulin levels, and blood pressure. Moreover, oestrogen significantly influences the brain chemical serotonin, a mood stabiliser. As oestrogen decreases during menopause, so does serotonin, leading to less stable moods, and potentially causing anxiety, depression, and panic.
Progesterone typically has a calming and relaxing effect on the brain's circuitry. Its decline during menopause can contribute to heightened anxiety and mood swings.
Apart from these biochemical influences, social and environmental factors can also impact the risk and prevalence of panic disorder during menopause. This increases the importance of stress management during this life phase.
It's important to speak to your doctor about your own mental health needs leading up to menopause and during. There are many treatment options available.
Lifestyle changes are an important part of managing mood swings and anxiety during menopause. These may include:
While menopause can indeed cause anxiety and mood swings, these changes are manageable with the right management. Through a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management techniques, and support from your healthcare team, you can navigate through menopause with more confidence and ease. Always remember, while menopause is a significant life transition, it's also a time for growth, transformation, and new beginnings.
The Vively app is an evidence-based tool that can provide guidance and support for women experiencing this significant life change. Vively can aid in improving glucose control, a key aspect of metabolic health that's often impacted during menopause. By closely monitoring your glucose levels and making necessary lifestyle and dietary adjustments, you can better manage menopause mood swings and anxiety.
Through Vively, you can receive personalised nutrition advice, monitor your metabolic health with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and track your progress, all in one place. This can significantly improve your health, reduce symptoms, and make the journey through menopause smoother and less stressful.
Get irrefutable data about your diet and lifestyle by using your own glucose data with Vively’s CGM Program. We’re currently offering a 20% discount for our annual plan. Sign up here.
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