5 Ways Menopause Can Affect Your Mental Health — and How We Can Help

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. You may be surprised by how much it can impact your physical health and your emotional well-being.

At Luxe Women’s Health, Jennifer Wright-Bennion, CNM, APRN, and our entire team in Queen Creek, Arizona, walk alongside women through this stage — and provide comprehensive support and practical solutions to help you before, during, and after menopause.

While there are many bothersome physical symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, weight gain, vaginal dryness, and thinning hair, you can experience some troubling shifts in your mental health, too.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we talk about five common ways menopause can affect your mental health and how we can help you feel like yourself again.

1. Mood swings

One minute, you’re perfectly fine, the next, you’re irritated or in tears — and you’re not sure why because the mood swings are not like you at all. Hormonal changes during menopause, especially the sudden plunge in estrogen, can impair neurotransmitters like serotonin (the happiness hormone) that help regulate your mood. These fluctuations can leave you feeling emotionally unstable.

How we help: Whether it’s lifestyle changes, nutrition support, or hormone replacement therapy, we’ll work with you to customize a plan that balances your mood and keeps you emotionally stable.

2. Worry and anxiety

Even if you’ve never struggled with anxiety in the past, menopause can make your thoughts race and bring on feelings of panic and worry. Your brain responds to physical shifts happening in your body, but you don’t have to face your feelings alone.

How we help: Jennifer evaluates your symptoms and discusses options such as talk therapy, medications, supplements, lifestyle adjustments, and hormone replacement therapy. 

3. Brain fog

Right in the middle of a sentence and forgot what you want to say? Walk into a room and can’t remember what for? Perhaps you’re having trouble focusing on tasks or projects. These are all signs of menopause brain fog, and they can be really frustrating.

How we help: At Luxe Women’s Health, we take a whole-person approach, examining your diet and nutrition, sleep, stress levels, and hormone balance to improve your mental clarity and sharpen your focus and productivity.

4. Sleep problems

Hot flashes, joint pain, and insomnia may have you tossing and turning in the night. Poor or disturbed sleep can wreak havoc on your overall health and lead to moodiness, anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

How we help: Jennifer makes recommendations to help you get the rest you need to function optimally, such as healthy sleep routines and habits, lifestyle changes, hormone therapy, and possibly medication.

5. Depression

Declining estrogen levels can take a toll on your overall well-being and trigger overwhelming feelings of sadness or depression. But you don’t have to suffer through dark days alone - there’s help and hope.

How we help: Jennifer is passionate about women’s health and has years of experience developing supportive strategies to help you manage and overcome severe symptoms of menopause, like depression. She offers compassionate care that may include talk therapy, hormone replacement therapy, and some lifestyle changes.

If you’re feeling down emotionally or mentally, Jennifer and our entire team in Queen Creek, Arizona, are here to listen to you, support you, and help you feel happy, healthy, and whole again. Call now to schedule an in-person or telehealth visit, or book your appointment online.