Understanding Major depression and Being menopausal
As ladies approach midlife and the menopause one important thing to be on the lookout for is depressive disorders. While menopause is not thought to be a cause of depression the two can occur at the same time. What is believed to be a cause of depression is changes in estrogen levels which occur during menopause. It is known that women are affected by depression over twice as much as men and that a family history of depression can factor into this as well.
The symptoms of the menopause and major depression are very comparable and may include sleep problems, hot flushes, tiredness and nervousness, and becoming easily irritated. Many women associate these symptoms with the changes that menopause brings, but they may be a sign of depression that needs to be understood and dealt with. There is no reason women need to suffer from depression during menopause. It is important that they accept the physical changes happening to their bodies during this time and work with their doctor to mitigate the symptoms of menopause, but it is also important that they realize that depression and menopause can be mutually exclusive and both can be dealt with.
As girls technique having menopause their monthly cycles start to transform and initiate to get unknown. This unpredictability of their monthly cycle is a sign of erratic ovulation. Erratic ovulation causes unpredictable releases of the hormones estrogen and progesterone leading to mood swings, forgetfulness, hot flashes and all the other symptoms associated with menopause.
Many women going through menopause since feel they are losing power over their own bodies when in reality it is just their natural reaction to growing older. This feeling of loss of control can lead to symptoms of depression. As the symptoms of both menopause and depression worsen they start to feel that there is nothing they can do and a feeling of hopelessness falls over them. This feeling of hopelessness is a major part of depression and left untreated can lead to severe depression.
Untreated major depression is really a key health risk. Researchers have found that depression is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and in some cases, it can lead to bone deterioration increasing the likely hood of osteoporosis and broken bones.
The therapy for depression and the menopause can follow a two-pronged approach. It is important to treat not only the depression with antidepressant medications and counselling but also to treat the symptoms of menopause as well. Menopause can be treated with hormone replacement therapy where synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone are used to even out the woman's hormone levels.
When you are a female getting close to midlife and showing the signs of the menopause keep in mind depression symptoms could be a very genuine part have an effect on from the adjustments that may occur to you. If start to see the symptoms of depression it is best to talk to your doctor about what treatment options may work best for you.
As ladies approach midlife and the menopause one important thing to be on the lookout for is depressive disorders. While menopause is not thought to be a cause of depression the two can occur at the same time. What is believed to be a cause of depression is changes in estrogen levels which occur during menopause. It is known that women are affected by depression over twice as much as men and that a family history of depression can factor into this as well.
The symptoms of the menopause and major depression are very comparable and may include sleep problems, hot flushes, tiredness and nervousness, and becoming easily irritated. Many women associate these symptoms with the changes that menopause brings, but they may be a sign of depression that needs to be understood and dealt with. There is no reason women need to suffer from depression during menopause. It is important that they accept the physical changes happening to their bodies during this time and work with their doctor to mitigate the symptoms of menopause, but it is also important that they realize that depression and menopause can be mutually exclusive and both can be dealt with.
As girls technique having menopause their monthly cycles start to transform and initiate to get unknown. This unpredictability of their monthly cycle is a sign of erratic ovulation. Erratic ovulation causes unpredictable releases of the hormones estrogen and progesterone leading to mood swings, forgetfulness, hot flashes and all the other symptoms associated with menopause.
Many women going through menopause since feel they are losing power over their own bodies when in reality it is just their natural reaction to growing older. This feeling of loss of control can lead to symptoms of depression. As the symptoms of both menopause and depression worsen they start to feel that there is nothing they can do and a feeling of hopelessness falls over them. This feeling of hopelessness is a major part of depression and left untreated can lead to severe depression.
Untreated major depression is really a key health risk. Researchers have found that depression is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and in some cases, it can lead to bone deterioration increasing the likely hood of osteoporosis and broken bones.
The therapy for depression and the menopause can follow a two-pronged approach. It is important to treat not only the depression with antidepressant medications and counselling but also to treat the symptoms of menopause as well. Menopause can be treated with hormone replacement therapy where synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone are used to even out the woman's hormone levels.
When you are a female getting close to midlife and showing the signs of the menopause keep in mind depression symptoms could be a very genuine part have an effect on from the adjustments that may occur to you. If start to see the symptoms of depression it is best to talk to your doctor about what treatment options may work best for you.