Menopause Depression -
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Menopause depression is not an uncommon menopause symptom.
According to my research, 25% of women will experience a time of major depression. For about half of those women menopause and depression will occur together. In fact, for many, menopause will be the cause of their depression.
Probably, depression and menopause go together for many women because of the hormonal changes happening during this time of life. Although why these changes trigger depression in some women, but not all, is still not entirely understood.
What is clearly understood, is that when you are depressed there are always chemical changes in the brain. Whether those changes cause the depression, or depression causes the changes is a hotly debated topic, but everyone seems to agree that the two are directly linked.
What is depression?
Depression is not just having the blues, or being sad for a few days. It isn't just normal grieving over the loss of someone or something important to you. |
depression means a woman "will have feelings of sadness and despair, inconsolable misery, and guilt that last for more than 2 weeks and interfere with her work, her relationships, and even her eating and sleeping."I've read much longer and more complex definitions, but if you think about this one, I believe it will serve our purposes. Depression is a serious problem that can, at times, even result in suicide.
What Causes Menopause Depression?
As I've researched this question, I've not found much that even discussed it, let alone gave any answers, but the books written by Dr. John Lee were exceptions.In What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause: Balance Your Hormones and Your Life From Thirty to Fifty
- A copper/zinc imbalance resulting in excess copper
- Tired adrenal glands
- birth control pills (by affecting serotonin levels in the brain)
- An estrogen deficiency - will cause anxiety as well
- Excess estrogen - will cause headaches as well
- Removal of ovaries
- A side effect of progestins (remember these are the man-made progesterones found in conventional hormone replacement therapy)
If there is a physical cause for your depression, it is far better to find out what it is and repair the problem, then to simply treat the symptoms.
Does Menopause Depression need Treatment?
Yes!Everyone agrees that if you are depressed, you should definitely get help. However, that is where the agreement ends.
Conventional treatment for depression usually totally ignores whether or not it is connected with menopause. There are varied approaches available. Usually they involve seeing a Psychiatrist or Psychologist.
These doctors will usually prescribe antidepressants, and they may also order psychotherapy, or talk therapy. In some cases, a type of electric shock therapy is also used. The research I've done claims that these are effective, but please understand that I don't personally recommend them.
I believe,the first step in treating depression during menopause should be to find out whether there is a physical cause for the depression. If there is, treatment of the physical problem will usually take care of the depression.
However, if you explore the possibility of physical causes, and treat them, but the depression keeps returning, or if it never goes away, please consider the possibility that there is another cause for your depression.
You can treat the symptoms with conventional treatments like psychotherapy and drugs, or you can deal with the causes and experience the cures for depression. Obviously curing the problem is far better then only masking the symptoms.
Natural Remedies for Menopause Depression
There are several natural remedies that can either prevent depression during menopause, or frequently effectively treat it even after it has occurred. |
Practically every book and resource I've consulted agrees that exercise will help with depression. In fact several books state that exercise can usually entirely overcome mild to moderate depression. They all agree that for exercise to help it must be enjoyable and you must commit to doing it regularly.
If aerobic exercise, such as walking has no appeal to you, another form of exercise that is very beneficial for us as we grow older is strength training. Two Women have written several books on the subject. One is called Strong Women Stay Young
It is one form of exercise that quickly gives desired results, and one of those results is overcoming depression, if that is a problem.
Supplements for Overcoming Menopause Depression
The first supplement I recommend to support overall health, and fight menopause depression, is a super food concentrate that enables your body to release 25 to 30% more stem cells for about six hours after you take it. For more information about this product visit my super food supplement page.It will help your body heal no matter what the health challenge you're struggling with, but in addition, it contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which is a complex carbohydrate chain responsible for providing a feeling of mental energy and clarity. Both ingredients will help you if you are struggling with depression.
The second supplement you can use to overcome depression and menopause, is a natural progesterone cream. If your hormones are out of balance, or you are suffering from the results of estrogen dominance, one of the results is frequently depression with anxiety or agitation.
For detailed information about progesterone and why using a supplemental cream is helpful please visit my page on natural progesterone cream by clicking on the preceding link.
A third nutrient helpful for depression is more omega-3 fatty acids. You can get this nutrient from fish oil, krill oil, salba, or flax seed oil.
For more information about these supplements, and where you can get them, please click on the preceding links to visit the pages specifically about them.
It is the DHA (docosahexanoic acid) part of these fatty acids that have been most beneficial to those struggling with depression.
Another supplement used widely in Europe to treat depression is SAM-e 400 mg.(an abbreviation for S-adenosylmethionine). It is reported to work faster than antidepressants, and just as well.
It has very few, if any side effects, and helps your health in other ways as well. There have been a total of 38 studies done between 1973 and 1992 that have shown this supplement to be effective in treating depression.
Finally there are several herbal supplements that can help with menopause depression. They include, black cohosh, ginkgo biloba, kava, St. John's Wort, and Valerian. For more information about these please visit the herbal remedies for depression page.
Conclusions
However, there are natural remedies for menopause that will probably enable you to successfully overcome it without relying on psychiatrists, psychotherapy, or prescription antidepressants.
Since many of these natural remedies actually work to fix the causes of menopause depression rather than simply treating the symptoms, you will find them far better for your overall health and happiness.
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