Do women going through menopause experience depression differently. “I never know if depression is what I’m really experiencing, or if it’s something else and how long will it last” Sara told me. 'Menopause made that process even more confusing at times."

When I heard these words from a friend of mine, I realized that unless someone ‘diagnoses’ you as sad, how do you really know that is what you are experiencing? Most of us have been or seen someone discouraged in our lives, so we are at risk for labeling ourselves something that might not even be just, or worse yet, become a limitation to us for no apt reason!

So let’s secure it straight. What does depression feel like? How does one know if they should be concerned about what they are feeling or thinking?

Feeling down once in awhile is considered normal for most people. But it passes rapidly. If these feelings of sadness persist, however, and possibly become stronger or more intense over prolonged periods of time, and they aren’t naturally resolved, it’s time to discover at the reasons and discover what can be done about it.

Here is a checklist of symptoms related to depression during menopause: sunless, sadness, loss of interest and pleasures, fatigue, loss of vigor, coarse restlessness and irritability, loss of concentration and attentiveness, loss of self-respect and self-confidence, guilt, lack of self-worth, hopelessness, thoughts of suicide, insomnia, and a loss of appetite.

Depression that goes untreated can become “clinical” and requires professional treatment. If you contemplate you are “clinically” sorrowful, do not hesitate to gather back from a therapist or doctor.

What I’m referring to here is a condition that is brought on by hormonal changes in the body particularly during the menopausal years that is often linked to a decrease in estrogen levels. However, some doctors maintain symptoms are caused by a decrease in progesterone and resultant rise in estrogen (but more about that in the progesterone article) .

If that is what you are experiencing, you have a few options. One is the archaic Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Hormone Replacement Therapy and the other is current alternative medicine that include herbal remedies, dietary supplements such as 5-HTP, or something called Bioidentical Hormones.

Other things you can do to wait on yourself through menopause are:

exhaust, do a shrimp every day

Learn to manage your stress carefully so you do not acquire overwhelmed

Promote top-notch sleep by avoiding things that stress you out and indulging in things that relax you like hot baths
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Eat a well-balanced diet, avoid refined sugar and high carb foods

originate time to do something you luxuriate in EVERY day

Be realistic about the expectations you build on yourself

Menopause can be time of titanic change and depression may play a factor for some women and men. Be determined to secure succor if you need it.

The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.

As women approach midlife and menopause one of the things to be on the lookout for is depression. While menopause is not thought to be a cause of depression the two can occur at the same time. What is believed to be a cause of depression is changes in estrogen levels which occur during menopause. It is known that women are affected by depression over twice as much as men and that a family history of depression can factor into this as well.

The symptoms of depression and menopause are very similar and include sleep disorders, hot flashes,fatigue, anxiety, and irritability. Many women associate these symptoms with the changes that menopause bring, but they may be a sign of depression that needs to be understood and dealt with. There is no reason women need to suffer from depression duing menopause. It is important that they accept the physical changes happening to their bodies during this time and work with their doctor to mitigate the symptoms of menopause, but it is alaso important that they realize that depression and menopause can be mutually exclusive and both can be dealt with.

As women approach menopause their menstrual cycles begin to change and start to become unpredictable. This unpredictability of their monthly cycle is a sign of erratic ovulation. Erratic ovulation causes unpredictable releases of the hormones estrogen and progetserone leading to mood swings, forgetfulness, hot flashes and all the other symptoms associated with menopause.

Most women going through menopause feel that they are loosing control of their bodies when in fact it is just their natural reaction to the aging process. This feeling of loss of control can lead to symptoms of depression. As the symptoms of both menopause and depression worsen they start to feel that their is nothing they can do and a feeling of hoplessness falls over them. This feeling of hopelessness is a major part of depression and left untreated can lead to severe depression.

Untreated depression is a major health risk. Researchers have found that depression is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and in some cases it can lead to bone deterioration increasing the likely hood of osteoporosis and broken bones.

The treatment for dperession and menopause can follow a two pronged approach. It is important to treat not only the depression with antidepressant medications and counseling but also to treat the symptoms of menopause as well. Menopause can be treated with hormone replacement therapy where synthetic forms of estrogen and progesterone are used to even out the woman's hormone levels.

If you are a woman approaching midlife and menopause be aware that depression can be a very real side affect of the changes that will happen to you. If start to see the symptoms of depression it is best to talk to your doctor about what treatment options may work best for you.