Menopause Mood Swings
Let’s not underestimate how difficult it is for you and for those around you, as you become tearful, snappy, less tolerant and less like yourself.
Seemingly coming out of nowhere, you can experience personality changes during menopause.
Menopausal rage can be difficult for you and for those around you when uncontrollable anger takes over. The ‘rational’ you, goes ‘missing in action’ when you can’t find your keys, mobile phone, purse or whatever it is. You know exactly where you left them! Someone else has moved them and you need them NOW. The red mist descends, and you explode at those in the firing line around you.
Sound familiar? If you’re in your late 30s, early to mid-40s, or older, you could very well be facing extreme menopause mood swings.
Why do we experience mood swings in menopause?
Our bodies and moods change in response to fluctuating hormone levels. Oestrogen blocks the breakdown of the happy hormone, serotonin. As perimenopause takes hold and levels fall, the oestrogen receptors in the brain no longer do their job and serotonin levels drop. Add to the mix, work and life factors plus the psychological, physical and emotional impact of other menopause symptoms – low energy, sleep problems and maybe hot flushes – and your mood can start to seriously swing.
You feel more emotional, angry, irritable and less like yourself.
How can you go about managing menopause mood swings?
Self-care counts more than ever; prioritising sleep and rest can really help. There’s no magic solution but you have options – from making lifestyle changes to CBT practice, stress-reducing strategies and for those who are able and willing, replacing those hormones with HRT
Recognising that you’ve not had a personality transplant but that hormones are ramping up your menopausal anger is a good place to start. Take action, talk with partners and friends so they know how you’re feeling - it may help to keep those vital relationships on track - and do get help from your GP.
Why do moods swing in menopause?
Oestrogen works by blocking the breakdown of the happy hormone serotonin. As your perimenopause takes hold and oestrogen levels fall, the oestrogen receptors in the brain no longer do their job and serotonin levels drop. Add to this, the psychological, physical and emotional impact of other menopause symptoms, and your mood can start to dip. You feel more emotional, angry, irritable and overwhelmed. Some women’s own personal psychological history may make them more prone to the impact of fluctuating hormones on their moods.
How to avoid menopause mood swings
Monster Munch won’t help
It's a simple truth for lots of us; mood swings can make us over-eat the wrong foods. When you’re feeling down, will you reach for a comforting mouthful of Kale, a bag of Monster Munch or a comforting cookie? Those refined carbs; lovely soft white bread, pasta, chips and maybe your favourite guilty pleasure, savoury brightly packaged fried corn snacks, contain trans fats and sodium, both substances to avoid. Refined carbs can cause a speedy increase in blood sugar levels causing high and low mood swings, weight gain and fatigue.
Go alcohol-free
An end-of-a-day alcoholic drink feels good in the short term, but the flip side is that it can affect the quality of your much-needed sleep, increase the number of night sweats as well as raise your sense of anxiety. Alcohol lowers the levels of the mood-regulating chemical serotonin.
Caffeine Ban
If hormonal imbalance is causing your mood to swing, caffeine may exacerbate the problem. Cut out or cut back on caffeine intake. If you can’t go cold turkey, have it as early as possible in the day so that it doesn’t scupper your chances of getting to sleep when it’s time to turn in, further affecting the mood pendulum. Drink caffeine-free soft drinks and herbal teas; peppermint, chamomile, fennel.
Banish big meals
Eat smaller meals, regularly, to avoid the blood sugar fluctuations that may lead to mood swings, irritability or tearfulness. Say hello to colourful rainbow foods and banish the beige! These foods are more refined and processed. Worth remembering that the starch and sugar in these foods are broken down into glucose for energy, the excess glucose is then stored as fat.
Medical treatment to improve menopause mood swings
If your mood swings are getting you down and affecting your quality of daily life, it may be time for a chat with your doctor to see if there are medical treatments to help modify menopause mood swings. It may be that prescription medications including beta blockers and anti-depressants may be available to get you through this period.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT may be useful for low moods triggered by menopause. The NICE position on CBT is that it ‘is an effective non-hormonal intervention for managing vasomotor symptoms’ (night sweats and hot-flushes) which may be a contributory factor in your mood swings. CBT aims to replace the negative thought 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’.
Does HRT help with mood swings?
Debilitating mood swings are no joke. If your mood swings are caused by hormonal imbalances, HRT may help. You need to talk to your doctor about your options. For those able to take HRT, there’s always the Positive Pause caveat, there are pros and cons to taking HRT, the decision will depend on your health history etc.
