Menopause and your mental health
The menopause can be a stressful time for a lot of women, affecting you both physically and mentally. Major changes occur in your body due to falling oestrogen levels and this can have an impact on your health and wellbeing.
The menopause occurs in most women in the UK between the ages of 45 to 55, with the average age being 51 years. One in 100 women is affected below the age of 40 and these are said to be suffering from pre-menopause. A small number of women continue to have periods up to and sometimes beyond 60 years, and this is classified as late-onset menopause.
It’s a time of change.
The menopause is a natural stage of life, but we understand how worrying it can be. It’s a challenging time, with physical and emotional changes taking place, some of which feel difficult to accept. At My Therapist Online, we have a number of expert therapists who are trained in supporting you through these stages.
Menopause and your mental health.
During the menopause, many women experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms that can have a significant impact on their mental health.
Hormone imbalances during this time can cause anxiety, irritability, mood swings, lack of concentration, feelings of sadness, and even depression.
These symptoms can be further intensified by the disruption of sleep patterns, which is another common symptom of the menopause.
Low mood and anxiety are also significant symptoms, and the hormone imbalances can significantly affect the brain's chemistry, leading to a general feeling of low mood.
Seeking support from a mental health professional can be crucial in managing these symptoms and improving overall well-being during the menopause.
Expert therapist help
At My Therapist Online, we have experts in online (live video) CBT, who can help you to cope with symptoms and change your mindset.
Our experts work with women on a range of areas including anxiety, depression, early menopause, hot flushes, joint pain, mood swings, muscle pain, vaginal dryness, sleeping issues, premature menopause and peri-menopause.
Ella Greatorex is an expert in CBT for managing symptoms associated with the menopause. Here she talks about her experience and the evidence based therapy approaches she uses.
'The way I have been working with menopause over the years and more recently as part of my Psychosexual Therapy work, is to consider the menopause as a complex experience which although having distressing symptoms and changes in thoughts, feelings, sensation and motivation, can also be a time where a lot of growth can take place. Often there are challenges for a woman during this time including lack of interest or painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, hot flushes and irritability, the impact of which on all areas of their life should not be minimised or ignored.
Women often find that a slowing down of their sexual relationships can create relationship difficulties or stress and that learning new ways to communicate the meaning of menopause can be a really helpful strategy so that a woman can feel heard and can also hear from their partner.
I have also worked with managing difficult sensations, lack of sexual desire and hot flushes using CBT; helping women to challenge the way they view these changes as well as working to improve these symptoms themselves.
Mindfulness can be a very useful approach to the menopause, although does not suit everyone, and so I bring this into my work with women where appropriate.
A compassion-focussed approach can also be valuable, as feelings of loss can arise around identity, femininity and role and needing to manage these sometimes experiences whilst trying to ‘continue on as usual’, exploring these in the context of self-compassion and fostering curiosity and self-exploration as a way of making sense of these losses and moving towards growth. '
At My Therapist Online, we have experts in online (live video) CBT, who can help you to manage the impact menopause can have in your mood and overall wellbeing.
Written by;
Ella Greatorex
Accredited CBT Therapist
EMDR Therapist, Sex & Relationships Therapist.
Expert in the treatment of symptoms of menopause
