The causes and symptoms of depression during menopause

Depression

It is common for a woman, when she enters the menopause, present a depressive frame, despite not being able to forget that it is something relatively normal. This is important, since untreated depressive frames can lead to episodes of depression getting older, and even physical problems.

La depression it affects 25% of women at some point in their life, a much higher proportion than that seen in men. Depression runs the risk of being a debilitating illness, severely limiting daily activity.

Symptoms of depression

Symptoms of depression during menopause are the following:

  • 2 weeks or more of a depressed mood,
  • reduced interest or pleasure in doing activities,
  • change in appetite
  • changes in sleeping habits
  • fatigue or loss of energy
  • difficult to focus,
  • excessive feelings of guilt or sense of worthlessness,
  • suicidal thoughts, restlessness, and extreme irritability.

Many of these symptoms of depression they hide and mix with menopausal symptoms, including sleep problems, physical symptoms like hot flashes, tiredness, irritability, anxiety, and trouble concentrating. There are women who suffer uselessly because they think that these disorders are part of aging and do not resort to a treatment that can solve most of these problems.

The causes of depression

There are different theories that explain the appearance of the depression during menopause. For example, traditional psychologists say that the main provocateur is the empty nest syndrome, that is, the woman who has the impression that her children do not need her, that she has nothing interesting to do, and that they do not feel indispensable. All these thoughts and feelings lead her to nurture feelings of worthlessness, loss, and sadness.

On the other hand, biological scientists focus on effects such as fluctuations Hormonal that influence the mood of women, since it is a time when the ovaries produce less estrogen. Estrogen interacts with chemicals in the brain, which affect the state of mind. In some women, the reduction in estrogen during menopause can cause a depression. Hot flashes and insomnia during this transition can also cause emotional distress.


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