Menopause and Mental Health
Jill Stoddard
by Auti K Scolman
Mood swings, insomnia, hot flashes, oh my! Do these symptoms sound familiar? We’re talking about menopause and the transitional period leading up to it called perimenopause. Menopause can have a major impact on a person’s mental health. During this time, hormone levels fluctuate greatly, leading to uncomfortable psychological and physical changes. The realities of menopause may come as a shock to menstruating people because of the lack of awareness and open communication around the topic. How can someone be prepared for a shift like this if they aren’t given the tools to succeed? Educating mentruators about this mid-life event, its symptoms, and treatments can help smooth the path through this natural transition.
How Menopause Can Manifest In the Mind and Body
Mood Swings
Anxiety and Depression
Insomnia
Difficulty with Memory and Concentration
Hot Flashes/Night Sweats
Changes in Libido
Vaginal and Bladder Issues
Headaches
Bone Loss
Changing Cholesterol Levels
It’s only human to look at the list above and feel overwhelmed or discouraged. Rest assured there are solutions to help in the management of the symptoms brought on by “the change”. Both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offer beneficial strategies to utilize while going through menopause. CBT helps clients understand the way their thoughts, behaviors, and feelings - including both emotions and uncomfortable physiological sensations - interact and influence each other. Rather than focusing on changing their feelings, clients learn to change their behaviors and the way they think about their symptoms and situation in order to respond more effectively to pain and discomfort. ACT focuses on teaching clients to be more psychologically flexible. This involves teaching clients acceptance and mindfulness skills to respond to their feelings of discomfort, and teaching them to observe their thoughts, all of which are in service of creating space for clients to continue to move toward their personally chosen values regardless of what painful internal experiences arise. Both approaches offer techniques to build empowerment around the obstacles presented during this life stage.
To schedule with Dr. Jill Stoddard, give us a call at (858) 354-4077 or email us at info@csamsandiego.com.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE NEEDS SUPPORT AND MIGHT BENEFIT FROM COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) OR ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT) FOR ANXIETY, PANIC, PHOBIAS, STRESS, PTSD, OCD, OR STRESS, OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR TELEHEALTH SERVICES, PLEASE CONTACT US AT (858) 354-4077 OR AT INFO@CSAMSANDIEGO.COM
References:
https://fortune.com/well/2022/06/15/most-women-are-unprepared-for-menopause/ https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/menopause-rocky-road-to-menopause https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-03768-8 https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/02-WHC-FACTSHEET- CBT-WOMEN-FEB-2023-A.pdf https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/Acceptance-and-Commitment-Therapy- ACT#:~:text=The%20ACT%20interventions%20focus%20around,toward%20living%20a%20va lued%20life.