Menopause & Depression

You’re a woman in your mid-40s, busy with family and a career, and you’ve begun noticing the first signs of menopause. You’ve been irritable, have trouble sleeping, and aren’t interested in your favorite hobbies anymore. You may also be seeing warning signs of depression, which sometimes happen in menopausal women.

“ Menopause is a point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period. The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause.”

The menopausal transition usually starts between ages 45 and 55. It can last around seven years but sometimes for up to 14 years. The length depends on lifestyle factors like smoking, age, race, and ethnicity. Menopause may affect a woman’s bladder function, changes in period, sleep cycles, and sexual health. It affects about three million women each year.

Depression (also known as major depressive disorder) is a widespread and serious medical ailment that negatively impacts your feelings, the way you think, and how you behave. Thankfully, the symptoms are treatable. Depression triggers sadness and even a lack of interest in things you used to enjoy doing. If ignored, it can result in a range of emotional and physical issues and affect your means of completing daily tasks at home and work.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression affects up to 40 million people in the U.S. alone and, globally, nearly 300 million .

Ketamine, once used solely for anesthesia, is recognized as a medicine that offers therapeutic value for several conditions which have proven unresponsive to standard treatment options. It’s a dissociative medicine, characterized by distorted sensory perceptions and making someone feel disconnected or detached from the world around them and themselves.

For decades, ketamine has been used to control symptoms of mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain conditions. It was approved in 2019 as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression , and many also soothe the symptoms related to menopause .

The intersection of menopause and depression is becoming more well-known with each passing year. According to the North American Menopause Society, “Women appear to be particularly vulnerable to depression during the perimenopause years and in the years immediately after menopause. Theories exist as to why women have double the rates of depression during this period. One theory is that there is a “window of vulnerability.” Some women are more sensitive to the hormone shifts during perimenopause which puts them at greater risk for depression. In addition, women at greatest risk are those with a history of depressed mood earlier in life.”

Menopause is a natural biological process affecting bone and heart health, body shape and composition, and physical function. Chronic depression isn’t something destined to happen over time, as is menopause.

Signs of depression in menopausal women

Tests usually aren’t required to diagnose menopause, but your healthcare provider may still need to verify levels of follicle-stimulating hormones, estrogen, and thyroid-stimulating hormones. Menopause doesn’t require medical treatment, but your health may improve with hormone therapy, low-dose antidepressants, and other medicine .

If you’re depressed, your primary care provider may be able to provide a diagnosis or – if there’s no medical cause for your condition – could refer you to a mental health specialist for psychiatric assessment. Symptoms of depression that last for months can be treated with psychotherapy, self-help, lifestyle changes, or medicine like ketamine .

If you’re struggling with how your body is adapting to menopause and the accompanying depression symptoms, talk to your healthcare provider before either affect your quality of life. Based on the severity, there may be simple solutions for either, but you may never regain control without a bit of help.

The post Menopause & Depression appeared first on The Albany Clinic.