Topic Tuesday // Mental health and menopause // 15 Aug, 7pm AEST

Goodnight, @BlueBay. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.

it's interesting what you say about the difference between menopausal mood swings and those associated with mental illness. I agree it is really hard to identify what's what really. @NikNik, @Mazarita

Mr shaz says I need to take one of his meds

good night @BlueBay

Similar to mood swings, depression is another one of those 'is it MI or Menopause' conundrums.

To add to the muddle, all the physical symptoms of menopause can cause the depression, rather than or as well as the hormone changes. eg:

- insomnia

- night sweats

- fatigue

So it could be life stage or current life stressful events, hormone changes and/or the impact ofphyscial menopausal symptoms. All of these need to be considered in treatment. As @Mazarita said, not all health professionals are senstive to the impacts of menopause, so it can be tricky.

However, from what I read, the treatment is similar regardless of which element is causing it. Sometimes it's just easier to understand the contributing factors to help tackle it!

- insomnia

- night sweats

- fatigue

I have them too @NikNik

argh @Shaz51 That's not fun!

Do you or @Mazarita (or any other lurkers) have any tips on managing these symptoms... any tricks of the trade?

@NikNik, perhaps one of the main things I suggest is learning as much as possible about perimenopause and menopause before it happens. Having some idea of what's going on is always better for me than casting around wondering what is happening. That is a scary place.

Aside from that, one thing that is helping me with menopause is that I have adopted an almost defiantly positive attitude to it, viewing it as a natural part of the process of being a woman and laughing at it as much as possible. For example, I do find hot flushes kind of funny, just that the body is doing that odd thing. The cardigan on, cardigan off routine. I might be a bit mad, but there is a humourous side to it for me. Even hair on the chin is kind of funny if looked at in that light. Of course, it's harder to find the humour if we are in a deep depression. But, wherever possible, I really am trying to get through this stage of life with as good a humour as possible. It happens to all women, after all. At least we can know that we are not alone with it.

Your post reminded me of a meme I saw today:

very very true my scottish sister @Mazarita

being postive even if it drives your partner crazy @NikNik, by kicking all the blankets off the bed and then trying to find the blankets in the dark , I have taken showers in the middle of the night

@CheerBear, @BlueBay,, laugh at it

Before we finish up I wanted to share some information on specific mental illnesses that can be impacted by menopause:

Schizophrenia

Some researchers have observed a worsening of the course of schizophrenia in women during the menopausal transition. There is research underway to understand what impact the decline of these hormones has on schizophrenia and what impact they were having before they started to decline.

Panic disorder

New-onset panic disorder may occur during menopause, or pre-existing panic disorder may worsen. Panic disorder may be most common in women with many physical symptoms of menopause. In a cross-sectional survey of 3,369 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 years, panic attacks were most prevalent among women in the menopausal transition. These attacks were associated with negative life events, functional impairment, and medical comorbidity.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

New-onset OCD, a relapse of OCD, or a change in OCD symptoms may occur during menopause. Fluctuations in OCD have been correlated with the menstrual cycle and with pregnancy, suggesting that hormone levels may contribute to the disorder.

Bipolar disorder

Exacerbation of mood symptoms during menopause has been noted in women with pre-existing bipolar. Research has suggested that women with bipolar disorder have higher rates of depressive episodes during the menopausal transition. The frequency of depressive episodes in this population appears to be higher than during premenopausal years (as you mentioned @Mazarita).

The best way to manage this is to get educated as @Mazarita has said and work with your treating team on how to tackle potential exacerbation of symptoms related to pre-existing mental illnesses. Prevention and preparation are key!