Can depression be a menopause-associated risk?

There is little doubt that women experience a heightened psychiatric morbidity compared to men. A growing body of evidence suggests that, for some women, the menopausal transition and early postmenopausal years may represent a period of vulnerability associated with an increased risk of experiencing symptoms of depression, or for the development of an episode of major depressive disorder.

Recent research has begun to shed some light on potential mechanisms that influence this vulnerability. At the same time, a number of studies and clinical trials conducted over the past decade have provided important data regarding efficacy and safety of preventative measures and treatment strategies for midlife women; some of these studies have caused a shift in the current thinking of how menopausal symptoms should be appropriately managed.Essentially, most women will progress from premenopausal into postmenopausal years without developing significant depressive symptoms.

However, those with prior history of depression may face a re-emergence of depression during this transition while others may experience a first episode of depression in their lives. Here I provide an overview of what is known about risk factors for depression and the risk posed by the menopausal transition, its associated symptoms, and the underlying changes in the reproductive hormonal milieu, discussing the evidence for the occurrence of mood symptoms in midlife women and the challenges that face clinicians and health professionals who care for this population.

Tropical Moments and Other Joys of Menopause

Menopause is one of those strange times when the body takes over and does its own thing beyond our control. Deb knows the ups and downs of menopause from years of sleepless nights spent flinging off the bed covers, feeling bloated like a beached whale and getting bitchy for no reason.

We recently talked with Dr. Mache Seibel, director of the Complicated Menopause Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, who said:
Menopause is a window of time, like puberty backward. Puberty is when there are great body changes, hormonal changes, raging feelings and things that are going on that you don’t understand, and menopause is when there are raging feelings and body changes, emotions and things that you don’t understand. Women spend at least 10 years in menopause, but the benefits last for years to come: no need for contraception, no fear of pregnancy, children are leaving or have left home so there can be greater spontaneity and freedom. In other words, women can go from making babies to making love!

As a seasoned veteran, Deb has meditated her way through the changes: Meditation is the most important thing she ever did for herself, over and above all the Chinese herbs, yam creams or other remedies. One of the difficulties with having hot flashes, for instance, is the incredible longing to get away from the heat, whether by flinging open windows or running outside in the snow, but often such activity just increases the heat. Very simply, hot sweats increase with stress and decrease with deep relaxation. Being or sitting still releases all resistance and enables the body to cool down more quickly. Meditation also shows us how all things do pass, including such intense physical discomfort.

“We don’t stop enough in life; there is rarely a pause button we can push,” says Mache. He adds:
Music would not be pretty if there weren’t some rests in between the notes, and meditation gives us that spaciousness. Menopause is one phase of life while meditation transcends all phases of life. It realigns and regroups the cells, atoms are aligned, molecules re-ordered. People should try meditation for three minutes, then for five or six, until they find a space that fits their day.

Most especially, menopause is when we can drop all the labels and come into our own sense of who we are. It is a time for us to emerge! We may want to start dancing or rock climbing, become a poet, write a book or work for the homeless — whatever it may be, now is the time to just do it!

Menopause Symptoms And Diet

Menopause is a state of women health during which her periods stop and she is no more fertile. Like in puberty during this time also women go through a lot of hormonal changes which also result in health disorders. Menopause is an important part of a woman’s life and needs immense care as her body mental and physical self become weak.

Symptoms Of Menopause

1.Irregular Periods – A woman might skip periods for several months and then have in in gap of a weeks time. The number of days of periods also get restricted to one or two days.

2.Low Fertility – During menopause, the estrogen level drops and she will have very less chance of getting pregnant.

3.Hot Flashes – A women might suddenly feel heat on her upper body, which gradually spreads to the stomach. Her skin might turn red and patchy.

4.Urinary Problems – Infections in urinary tract might happen. She might also have the tendency to urinate frequently.

5.Mood Swings – Due to hormonal changes, woman might have a lot of mood swings.

6.Osteoporosis – As the estrogen level decreases in the body, bone mass is lost, thus making the bones brittle. They are so brittle that in very little amount of pressure they can break. This is called Osteoporosis. This is one of the major symptom of menopause.

These are some of the basic symptoms of menopause. These symptoms of menopause become all the more chronic as the time approaches but if proper care is taken then it also subsides with time.

Menopause Diet

1.Menopause diet of a woman should include a minimum of 1200 to 1500 mg of calcium. Thus it is important to add yogurt, green leafy vegetables, milk and cheese in her diet.

2.Woman going through this phase tend to store cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart attack. Thus one should include sources of Omega-3 fatty acids in his diet. Food rich in Omega-3 include fish and other sea food.

3.Include fruits in your diet as they are rich in Vitamins, which a woman requires at this time. Sources of Vitamin B and B-12 should be included in her diet.

4.Menopause diet should include fiber rich food. Food rich in fiber are whole wheat, fruits, cereals etc. This will help her digest food, thus, cutting down the amount of cholesterol, prevent constipation and maintain the blood glucose level.

5.Soy is a very good source to meet menopause symptoms. Soy contains Phytoestrogen. This treats menopause symptoms like hot flashes, calcium deficiency etc. This also provides energy to the body.