Dealing with menopause anxiety | Complementary & Alternative Treatments

Anxiety* in menopause is one of the most commonly experienced yet misunderstood symptoms. Stomach-churning, sleep-crushing anxiety can be one of the first unexpected and unwelcome signs of perimenopause, creeping up on you in your early forties, or even late thirties. So, what can you do to treat menopause anxiety naturally using complementary and alternative medicine and practices?

Cognitive behavioural support (CBT) for menopause anxiety

The gold standard UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) medical guidelines for managing menopause state that CBT is ‘an effective non-hormonal intervention for managing vasomotor symptoms’ (night sweats and hot-flushes to you and us). CBT aims to replace negative thoughts with positive ones and includes counselling and advice on sleep and relaxation. A study published by the North American Menopause Society in 2013 found that self-help CBT ‘was as effective as 8 hours of group CBT’.

CBT practice will take time and won’t be for everyone. Your doctor may be able to refer you for NHS CBT in your area, or recommend self-help online CBT courses.

Homeopathy

Consult an experienced homeopath to see which remedies can help to relieve specific symptoms of menopause, including anxiety. 

Traditional Chinese medicine

TCM focuses on restoring harmony to an unbalanced system. You can’t argue with the intention, so it may be worth considering. Watch our YouTube vlog with practitioner Gail Newton, explaining how she treats her patients with a combination of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture: Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine & Menopause Relief.

Acupuncture

The British Acupuncture Council say that acupuncture may help menopausal symptoms by regulating hormones and raising feel-good endorphins, all to the good for menopause anxiety. There are studies to say that acupuncture has no discernible effect and that any benefits are purely a placebo effect. Who cares? If you feel better after treatment, you won’t mind how it works just that it has. 

Aromatherapy

Essential oil essences - lavender, lemon balm, geranium and vanilla - are all believed to have a calming effect. Put a couple of drops on a tissue and slowly inhale when you need to stop and catch your breath.

*Anxiety can rapidly become a mental health problem when it impacts on your daily life and ability to function. If anxiety levels are increasing in impact and duration, please talk to your GP to get appropriate professional support.