Cleveland Doc Talks Stress and Menopause For Stress Awareness Month

When women go through menopause, their bodies experience an influx of new and returning hormones that can impact both mental and physical health. While the physical changes brought about by menopause deserve to be addressed more than they currently are, the mental health issues that post-menopausal women experience are grossly undiscussed in our society.

April is National Stress Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to help women with the stresses that come about from menopause.

Women experience many changes in their hormones when they go through menopause, possibly resulting in general anxiety. However, it can also lead to irritability, forgetfulness, loss of self-esteem and confidence, mood swings, lack of concentration, and more, all of which can lead to additional stress.

“There are many ways a woman can work to reduce her overall anxiety when she experiences menopausal symptoms,” said Dr. Alexa Fiffick. “Both self-help measures and hormone regulation can help alleviate symptoms and ease a lot the stresses they might be experiencing.”

Certain healthy lifestyle habits, such as making sure one gets enough sleep, eats well, meditates, and exercises regularly, can reduce stress levels.

“In some instances, healthy lifestyles have been shown to have a bigger benefit on mental health than therapy,” said Fiffick. “Implementing some of these changes can be relatively easy, but they can have a major effect on the mental wellbeing of women during menopause.”

Monitored hormone replacement therapy can also help to ease symptoms and protect women’s mental health as they go through menopause. Maintaining natural levels of estrogen and progesterone has shown to help the brain and cut down on possible stressors.

“We clearly need more research, but with what we currently know, I believe that women can help to manage their mental health through medically monitored hormone replacement therapy, and healthy lifestyle changes,” Fiffick explained. “Aging is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to medicine. Women specifically, need to approach their health differently to manage their heart and their brains.”