Frequently Asked Questions About Menopause and Anxiety

Menopause is a natural part of biological aging that typically occurs between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five. It is the stage of life when a woman’s reproductive years come to an end and she stops having menstrual periods. It is marked by major hormonal changes that happen gradually over several years, and that can affect you mentally and emotionally as well as physically.

What is the difference between menopause and perimenopause?

Perimenopause is the transitional period leading up to menopause and can last anywhere from a few months to ten years. During this stage, periods become irregular as your ovaries gradually stop releasing eggs, and the production of estrogen and progesterone fluctuates and declines. Although the effects of the hormonal changes taking place can begin to be felt, women can still get pregnant during this time.

Menopause, on the other hand, is the final cessation of menstruation and is officially reached when a woman goes twelve consecutive months without a period.

Is anxiety linked to a particular stage of menopause?

Menopause and anxiety are closely intertwined due to the physical and psychological challenges that accompany this phase of life. Menopausal anxiety can be experienced at any stage, but may start so subtly at the beginning of perimenopause that you at first don’t make the connection between your unexplained episodes of anxiety and the hormonal changes taking place. You just sense something is off and wonder what is wrong with you.

What causes menopausal anxiety?

Studies have shown that hormonal changes during menopause, such as declining levels of estrogen, can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain by causing serotonin, a feel-good hormone, and norepinephrine, both crucial for mood regulation, to drop, while increasing the hormone cortisol, which is associated with stress. These changes in brain chemistry affect the way it functions and can trigger feelings of anxiety.

Other possible causes of anxiety in menopause include significant life changes, sleep disturbances, and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, joint pain, and night sweats that can throw your daily routine off balance and lead you to feel even more stressed and anxious.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Not all women experience menopause the same way. Some may breeze through it practically symptom-free, whereas for others, it can be a stressful, anxiety-producing time that interferes with their ability to sleep at night and function as usual during the day.

Symptoms may include:

Anxiety Menopausal anxiety is a hormonally induced mood change that can hit you suddenly or creep up slowly and leave you feeling fearful and tense. It can also be accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, shaking, chest pain, and panic, in response to other menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.

Hot flashes and night sweats Hot flashes resulting from the ups and downs of hormonal levels, estrogen in particular, cause you to feel a sudden surge of heat in your upper body, especially your face, neck, and head. In addition to feeling hot and flushed, you may also feel chills. When hot flashes occur while you are asleep, causing you to wake up drenched in sweat, they are known as night sweats and are often associated with disturbed sleep.

Both hot flashes and night sweats can affect your mood in direct and indirect ways. When your body suddenly warms up, your heart may start to race, and you may feel dizzy, short of breath, have chest pain, and experience sudden panic or anxiety.

Sleep disturbances Issues such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome all tend to be higher during menopause, causing disturbed sleep and impairing your ability to function during the day. You may feel sleepy, tired, have trouble focusing, struggle to get tasks done, experience brain fog, and feel more irritable than usual.

What is surgical menopause? Are the symptoms the same as with natural menopause?

Surgical menopause occurs when a woman’s ovaries are surgically removed. Symptoms are similar to those of natural menopause but are more abrupt and intense. Whereas the levels of estrogen and other hormones produced by the ovaries decline gradually during natural menopause, their surgical removal causes immediate cessation, and symptoms generally start as soon as the procedure is over.

According to some studies, women who undergo surgical menopause tend to have a higher incidence of anxiety and depression than do women who experience natural menopause.

How long does menopause and anxiety last?

Menopause is a biological transition, as is puberty, and like puberty, it does come to an end, although the process can take years. There is no fixed timeline for how long it will last, as each person’s experience of it is unique. Some women have more pronounced menopause and anxiety symptoms, while others may have milder symptoms or none at all.

What happens after menopause?

Although your body won’t go back to the way it was before menopause, there are benefits to be enjoyed post menopause. In addition to no longer having a period or any more menstrual or pre-menstrual symptoms, and no longer having to worry about getting pregnant, many women emerge with a renewed sense of confidence, purpose, and zest for life.

Can menopause and anxiety symptoms be managed without drugs?

Healthy lifestyle changes such as the following can help improve some symptoms of menopause and anxiety and make them more manageable.

Stay hydrated and eat a healthy, balanced diet A balanced, nutritious diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods, sugar, salt, caffeine, and alcohol, not only provides essential nutrients and promotes overall health, but may also help reduce some symptoms linked to menopause such as hot flashes and sleep problems.

Exercise Regular exercise increases your sense of well-being, self-worth, and body image, and triggers chemical changes in the brain that help reduce stress and anxiety.

Spend time outdoors Spending time outdoors in nature has a calming effect that can help lower stress and anxiety, improve mood, and promote better sleep.

Get enough sleep Good, consistent sleep can help your body cope better with the symptoms of menopause, potentially reducing their frequency and intensity.

Practice relaxation techniques Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness exercises, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 one that grounds you in the present moment, can help calm you, bring your heart rate down, and reduce anxiety.

The 5-4-3-2-1method is a grounding exercise that helps calm anxiety by shifting your focus to the present moment. It involves identifying 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.

Take a break Taking time out to relax and unwind by doing something calming you enjoy, such as reading a good book, engaging in a hobby, painting, knitting, or doing some gardening, can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Join a support group Participating in a support group where you can share your feelings and experiences with other women going through the same thing and listen to their stories as well, can help encourage you by letting you know you are not alone, and assuring you that what you are going through is normal and you are not losing your mind.

Consider counseling A trained mental health professional can help you understand what’s at the root of menopause-related anxiety, equip you with coping techniques, and help you navigate through the challenges of the menopausal transition.

Next Steps

If you have additional questions, need more help than what this article on menopause and anxiety could provide, or would like to set up a risk-free appointment to meet with one of the faith-based counselors at our location, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.