I consider menopause one of the key factors that led to my one and only attempt on my life. During the height of it--I was working in a call center where you could not go to the restroom anytime you wanted without effecting your performance statistics (I had one one-half hour lunch and two 15 minute breaks during my 8 hour shift and I am afraid I have always been motivated to perform based on stats). My hot flashes, anxiety and bleeding were terrible at this time and the bleeding leaked right through my clothes many, many times which caused even more anxiety. It was a temporary job (though this is a company that has asked me back many times but now they are gone--bought by another) and when the job ended, I made that one attempt about a week and a half later that put me in the hospital. While in the hospital, I was constantly having hot flashes and the thing about them is that they occur suddenly out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. It is six years later and I am through menopause which is such a relief. No periods and my anxiety is much more manageable now. Eventually, your discomfort will end. Looking back, I needed more mental healthcare during menopause but, unfortunately, I had none. With my husband unemployed at the time given that my wages were low and temporary--I chose to stop taking my mental health medications (I would have had to also pay to see my psychiatrist regularly in addition to the cost of the medicine) thinking I could tough it out. This turned out to be a foolish decision.