Perimenopause Depression
What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder in which a patient feels sad for long periods of time. Usually it is accompanied by sleep and/or eating disorders, a need/want to be alone, and a loss of interest in the person's usual activities. People suffering from depression are usually pessimistic about the world. They also usually have very low self-esteem.
What causes depression in perimenopause?
In many people, depression is caused by psychological factors. Sometimes these factors are hereditary. Other times a stressor like the loss of a loved one, a sudden and dramatic change in environment, and loss of status triggers the depression.
Statistically, women are more susceptible to depression; even more so during perimenopause. In women with perimenopause, depression is usually triggered by physical factors, mainly the change in hormones that happens during this time in a woman's life. When levels of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease, other hormones that govern mood like norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin, as well as the hormone which triggers stress, cortisol, increase in levels and it can cause mood disturbances in perimenopausal women. Usually, the bouts of sadness are blamed on the imbalance of serotonin.
This doesn't mean that perimenopause depression cannot be triggered by psychological stressors, though. Sometimes the other symptoms of perimenopause itself can trigger the depression. When women feel despair at not being able to sleep at night, at having crashing fatigue, at having palpitations, or at losing their sex drives, they can become depressed.
What types of depression do perimenopausal women get?
You can say that a woman has perimenopausal depression or depression (if not yet in perimenopause) if she has a consistent feeling of sadness or extremely low mood or spirit for about two weeks. This must be paid attention to because perimenopause depression can easily turn into more serious types of depression like major depression, dysthymic disorder, adjustment disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and manic depression.
Can you be more at risk for perimenopausal depression?
If a woman dealt with depression in her youth or has a history of depression, she is more likely to have a relapse during her perimenopausal years. Women who have stressful jobs, have a history of smoking, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or had surgical or medical menopause are also at higher risk for perimenopausal depression.
What can be done about it?
If the depression seems to be only caused by perimenopause or the imbalance of hormones, many people recommend trying out alternative medicine programs in an attempt to balance out hormones. They also recommend placing yourself in a stress free environment and to do activities that make you happy. On the other hand, if the depression was triggered by a stressor, but is also hereditary, then it is recommended that you seek the help of a psychologist so that they can properly asses what kind of depression you have.
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