Why does Menopause cause Depression?

At the onset of menopause, women undergo a host of changes in their bodies. It is not uncommon for women to feel frustrated with these changes, in addition to feeling sad about their inability to conceive anymore. In fact, signs of anxiety and depression at both menopausal and perimenopausal stages of a woman’s life are perfectly normal. Both these psychological conditions are 2 of the 34 menopause symptoms.

The causes of anxiety and depression during menopause can be either physical or psychological. Some researchers believe that the decrease in oestrogen level triggers changes in the brain, causing depression. Another view is that the other symptoms of menopause, like hot flushes, fatigue, sleep problems and night sweats cause these feelings.

Menopause happens to women, in their twilight years. There are exceptions of course, but that is generally the norm. At that time in their lives, most women find themselves in a situation where the busy,active and involved life she had, setting up home and bringing up children, is past and she has time on her hands, most often the empty nest syndrome, and perhaps a feeling of not being needed anymore. With these come the physical symptoms of menopause, the hot flushes, the fatigue, the night sweats and several others. Everything combined can suddenly become overwhelming and lead to anxiety attacks, nervousness and eventually, for some, depression.

Depression is a disease caused by biological factors. Some hormones in the brain, especially serotonin, regulate our mood. A drop in the serotonin level can cause mood fluctuations and depression. There are indications that between 8%  and 15% of menopausal women suffer from depression of some kind. Depression due to menopause is most likely to hit during perimenopause, the phase leading up to menopause.

The causes of menopausal depression are still under debate, but there are various theories suggesting why such a large number of women experience mood disorders during menopause.The two main causes, as already mentioned above are :

1. The stress of dealing with the other symptoms of menopause.
2. Fluctuating levels of hormones in the body.

Other Things that can cause Depression

• Not being physically active.
• Having problems in a relationship.
• Financial Problems.
• Employment problems.
• Having low self esteem.
• Regret over not being able to have children any more.
• Not having a strong support system.

Risk factors

A woman with a history of depression and / or mood disorders, are at an increased risk of developing depression during menopause. This is more applicable to women who have had depression in their twenties. Also at high risk are women who have gone through surgical menopause, because surgery causes a dramatic drop in oestrogen levels. Other women more likely to experience depressionduring menopause are smokers, those who have young children and those who are under a lot of stress.

However, whatever the cause,it is important to get immediate and appropriate help, as left untreated, it can have serious physical and emotional side effects.


Source:

Content provided by: Onlymyhealth editorial team

Tags:Depression during Menopause,Causes of Depression,Menopause causes Depression

http://www.onlymyhealth.com/why-does-menopause-cause-depression-1306837611

SUKH-SAMVAD COUNSELLING ( DIALOUGES FOR HAPPINESS): Premarital counselling video of Dr.Rekha Deshmukh

SUKH-SAMVAD COUNSELLING ( DIALOUGES FOR HAPPINESS): Premarital counselling video of Dr.Rekha Deshmukh video 1
http://www.pragyatv.com/Video.aspx?vid=47da7eb17ec14670b71d6b28f8e658633101

http://www.pragyatv.com/Video.aspx?vid=119192967fe34507b714b2551f5e3dd22401

Pre-Marital counselling video ,( Pragya TV.)

Premarital counselling video of Dr.Rekha Deshmukh

SUKH-SAMVAD COUNSELLING ( DIALOUGES FOR HAPPINESS): Take a motivation test

SUKH-SAMVAD COUNSELLING ( DIALOUGES FOR HAPPINESS): Take a motivation test: "MOTIVATION TEST: 1. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than: a) Recognition and appreciation of ..."

Take a motivation test

MOTIVATION TEST:

1.                              Nothing gives me more satisfaction than:

     a)      Recognition and appreciation of my work

     b)      The feeling  of i have lived up to the expectation and done my job well

     c)       Time whiled away with my friends

2.                             I would like to be perceived as a

a)      A wealthy successful person

b)      An efficient person

c)       A friendly person

3.                                 Nothing is worse than

a)      Having your self-esteem damaged

b)      Failing in an important task

c)       Losing your friend

4.                             As a child I enjoyed

a)      Just chilling with my gang

b)      The feeling of accomplishment after i did something well.

c)       Being praised for my achievements

5.                                Given a choice I would like to

a)      Expand my friend circle

b)      Work at the hobby or learn something new and exciting

c)       Just take it easy without any tension

d)       

6.                                 I think i do my best when

a)      When i work with congenial group of people

b)      I have a job with my line of work

c)       My efforts are rewarded

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7.                               I like                                               

a)      Being appreciated

b)      Being satisfied with my performance

c)       Being with my friends with whom i can have a good time

In the end ,give scores and add your total score for this test

Scoreboard

    a)                 b)             c)

1)                0               1               2

2)                1               2               0

3)                1               2               0

4)                0               2               1

5)                0               2               1

6)                0               2               1

7)                1               2               0

0-5:  The more the merrier that’s your attitude.

You like to be appreciated and liked by all around you.

5-10- Me and myself

You are like doing your own things. All that matters and motivates you is personal satisfaction

10+ --works is worship

As long as the job is done and you fulfil your responsibilities, that’s all that matters to you.

 Source: India Today,Aug.20,2001.

Be less Anxious and More Productive? Learn How to take charge of Your Inner Critic”



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Do you spend hours worrying that you aren't good enough to succeed? That you're just not capable or that you aren't smart enough? You're not alone.

 You may be a typical of many top-level executives who struggle with an over-eager inner critic. In spite of numerous accomplishments, including a post graduate degree from a prestigious university, medical school or a business school and or even a partnership at a leading accounting firm, one can feel like an underachiever. Every day such young person sees him/herself as a new graduate — utterly nervous, tongue-tied, fumbling, and trying to prove herself for the very first time. You get further convinced that soon someone will find out the awful truth — that her incompetence will become clear and that you may lose your responsibilities, her partnership, and eventually her job. Even though you  may  have    never received a negative performance appraisal, you may feel unhappy, stressed, and unfulfilled. You may be successful and yet completely miserable.

This is a well-known   "impostor phenomenon," a psychological syndrome identified in the late 1970s by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes and expanded upon by Manfred Kets .It describes frequent feelings of incompetence despite all of the evidence to the contrary. 'impostor phenomenon' (IP) (P. Clance and S. Imes Psychother. Theor. Res. 15, 241–247; 1978).

The imposter syndrome is common — and it can be hard to overcome. Quieting your inner critic takes a series of specific steps.

First, it is important to recognize that the most commonly used strategy — trying to ignore or suppress your inner critic — simply doesn't work. In fact, ignoring unpleasant thoughts and emotions leads to a rebound effect, it increases the intensity .Rather than suppress your emotions, acknowledge that they are real, whether justifiable or not. Wrong or right, so you do not feel unworthy, ashamed, and anxious. When you try to push these feelings away or rationalize them (by saying, "I shouldn't be feeling this way") they only get amplified. It is this response to your inner emotions that gets you  into trouble. Psychologists call this response a "meta-emotion." When we worry about being worried, we're creating a whole new problem.

Some people can struggle with such inner critic for long time, even ten years or lifelong.   You end up been trying to ignore your unreasonable self-criticisms. But such usual strategy didn't seem to be working. It didn't take long for you   to realize that anxiously trying to avoid or ignore our emotions was actually contributing to the problem.

The trick to dealing with your inner critic is to develop a balanced relationship with it: to not ignore or avoid it and the emotions it rises, but to also not allow yourself to be bullied by it.

Easier said than done? Try the following steps:

•       Examine your inner critic. Ask it: "Where do you come from?" This might feel awkward at first, but speaking internally with your critic is a valid psychological technique that encourages you to think objectively. Sometimes one can trace the  inner critic back to your  childhood, to parents who were harsh and difficult to please. But not all inner critics come from our childhoods. We're influenced by many factors, including competition with our peers, the media, and our relationships with our spouses, and our own attitudes about winning and losing. Once you understand the places your inner critic comes from, you'll be able to recognize when it's telling the truth and when to disregard what it says.
•   
•        Understand that your inner critic can actually help you. Your inner critic has evolved to help you set and meet high expectations. If you're open to it (which is not the same as believing everything it tells you) then you can learn from it. Like a good coach, your inner critic reminds you that knowledge and capability are important. Ask it: "How will you help me achieve success in the task ahead?"     
•       Act in spite of your inner critic. You can learn from your inner critic, but be careful to not give it too much power. Find and maintain the right distance — keep it close enough to be useful, but not so close that it gets in your way. As soon as you hear your inner critic complaining, acknowledge the information — but always ask: is my inner critic helping me or hurting me? If what it's telling you saps your confidence, then ask it to step aside and continue on your way.
•    
•       You may feel tongue-tied in important meetings, worried that other people might think her comments inane. Now, instead of surrendering to anxious, negative thoughts, you thank her inner critic for its opinion and speak up anyway. By taking action that's consistent with her goal of becoming a better leader she manages to dispel her anxiety and add wisdom to the conversation.

. Weeding out, purifying the inner critic

These are some strategies that may help you if you are  struggling with impostor phenomenon.

·          If you're a student or a postdoctoral fellow, get a supportive, understanding adviser.

·          If you're working, do your best to find a supportive, understanding mentor.

·          Call on your partner or friends to be supportive and talk you through impostor feelings.

·          Hire a tutor or take a class in a topic or area where you think your abilities are weaker. You'll learn what you need — or realize how much you already know.

·          Make a list of your strengths. Look back at examples of your own successful work, or positive reviews, and remind yourself of your own accomplishments.

·          Accept that some tasks will not be done perfectly.

·          Be aware of your language choices. If you find yourself thinking you were 'lucky' to have got a grant or published a paper, focus on what you did to earn it.

 In the end, it's helpful to remember that as loud as your inner critic can be, it's just a part of you and not the whole. Don't let it stop you from continuing to lead a normal, fulfilled life

           Source:

Karen Kaplan^: .http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2009/090521/full/nj7245-468a.html

P. Clance and S. Imes, Psychother. Theor. Res. 15, 241–247; 197