Menopause And Depression - Learn How To Break This Link
You always hear that depression is an integral part of the symptoms that accompany menopause; so common is the link between these two symptoms that many feel they are inseparable. Wrong. You can indeed fight depression successfully and go through menopause sans this particular problem. Here is how.
Menopause And Depression - How Is This Link Created?
Menopause happens when the ovaries shut down and stop producing eggs. This triggers a series of reactions among which results is a drastic reduction in the level of hormones that are present in your blood. Since hormones are the key to a series of internal activities, you would experience a string of symptoms which are associated with menopause.
The erratic production of hormones is one of the main reasons that promote the menopause and depression link. Another reason could be the fact that a woman at this time goes through a very difficult time as a result of aging as well. You may find that wrinkles are clearly visible in most cases this would make you feel unattractive and unworthy of appreciation and love.
This is also a time when children depart from the parental house leaving behind mothers who all of a sudden have nothing to do. After about 18-20 years of mothering and leading a life centered on the needs and wants of your children (and spouse), you would find that time hangs heavy on your hands. This is yet another reason that leads and justifies the menopause and depression linkage.
In case you are also a working woman, middle age is that time when you like to take stock about your life and see how far you came and how far you have to go to fulfill your dreams. Most women would look back and see nothing; look ahead and still see nothing, which would be sufficient to push anyone into depression.
The Menopause And Depression Link Can Be Broken
Anyone can break this link; you can do it too. Pay attention to the time you feel depressed as these attacks would very often be cyclic. Note the frequency of the attacks even if these are not repeated at regular intervals. Consult your medical practitioner asking for anti-depressants rather than the HRT (hormone replacement therapy) which is phenomenally effective with depression, but might bring along many other problems in the form of side effects.
Happiness is a state of mind. Beware about the menopause and depression link so you can look for ways to fight this symptom. Make an effort to be happy, to laugh and after a while it would become a habit that is very effective against depression. Exercise, yoga, meditation, a pleasant hobby, herbal remedy and HRT - all of these could be used to de-link menopause from depression. Choose one or a combination that suits your best.
