Menopause and Mental Health

InkyTinks · Dec 16, 2021 at 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BethRags

It's called 'Women-Focused Support.'

Where is it? Is it a sub heading under another main one? ...do you have a link please?

sarahsweets · Dec 18, 2021 at 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downandlonely

That just got me to thinking my Mom's memory has been really bad since menopause (although maybe the anti-psychotics are a factor too). She doesn't remember books she's read or movies she's seen. She also doesn't seem to remember much from my childhood.

It’s legit. Nicknamed “menopause brain “

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MuseumGhost · Jan 08, 2022 at 11:26 PM

Inky, here's the link: https://mysupportforums.org/women-focused-support/

It's located on the very first, long page of all the Forums this site hosts, entitled HEALTH & OTHER SUPPORT (it's the fifth banner down).

SprinkL3 · Jan 09, 2022 at 01:02 AM

I like this thread! I'll need to come back when I'm more relaxed and have dealt with my hunger, LOL. But I am in my late-40s and don't know if I'm dealing with undiagnosed perimenopause or if I'm waiting for the symptoms to come full force ahead! I worry about my mental health worsening, too.

sarahsweets · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SprinkL3

I like this thread! I'll need to come back when I'm more relaxed and have dealt with my hunger, LOL. But I am in my late-40s and don't know if I'm dealing with undiagnosed perimenopause or if I'm waiting for the symptoms to come full force ahead! I worry about my mental health worsening, too.

I had symptoms and skipped periods for 4 years and was ignored until I found an open listening NPGYN.

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SprinkL3 · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

I had symptoms and skipped periods for 4 years and was ignored until I found an open listening NPGYN.

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What is an NPGYN? How do I find one?

sarahsweets · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SprinkL3

What is an NPGYN? How do I find one?

It’s not an official name. I meant a gyn nurse practitioner

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SprinkL3 · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

It’s not an official name. I meant a gyn nurse practitioner
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Ah, got it!

I need a Gyn practitioner.

sarahsweets · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:50 AM

Menopause Information | Mount Sinai - New York

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SprinkL3 · Jan 09, 2022 at 03:05 AM

@sarahsweets - thank you!

In the article you shared, I found the following quite helpful in delineating what perimenopause is:

Quote:

Early Stage. Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women ages 40 to 44. It is marked by changes in menstrual flow and in the length of the cycle. There may be sudden surges in estrogen.

Quote:

Late Stage. The late stages of perimenopause usually occur when a woman is in her late 40s or early 50s. In the late stages of the menopausal transition, women begin missing periods until they finally stop. About 6 months before menopause, estrogen levels drop significantly. The fall in estrogen triggers the typical symptoms of vaginal dryness and hot flashes (which can last from half a year to more than 5 years after onset of menopause).

And here's what the definition of menopause is:

Quote:

Menopause is considered to have occurred after a woman has gone a full 12 months without a period. Menopause marks the end of menstruation and a women's fertility. American women reach menopause at an average age of 51 years, although it can occur as early as age 40 to as late as the early 60s. Women now have a life expectancy of more than 80 years. Currently, women can expect to live some 30 or 40 years of their lives in the postmenopausal state.

And here are the effects of menopause on an aging woman's body:

Quote:

Menopause is not a disease. However, many conditions are associated with estrogen depletion, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and other complications.

I realize that I might be in the early stages of perimenopause. I probably began around my mid-40s, when I started getting intermittent hot flashes during the daytime (usually when stressed) and also when I slept. I didn't get them that much though, and my periods remained regular. But now, during my late-40s, I notice my moods are changing, my weight is being gained too swiftly, my periods are becoming slightly irregular and thinner, and the ovulation discharge no longer happens (which indicates some vaginal dryness). Because I am celibate, I don't know about the rest of the stuff. I do notice that a lot of things about my body is changing as I age, and I suspect that hormonal changes are at the cause of all these changes.

downandlonely · Jan 09, 2022 at 03:37 AM

I wonder if the sudden surges in estrogen in early menopause is why some women unexpectedly get pregnant at around 40.

InkyTinks · Jan 09, 2022 at 05:02 AM

It explains why I felt my personality would switch really quickly! ..and I'd forget stuff more then think people were accusing me of things as I'd forgot what was said. Hence the beginning of thoughts that there was 'another me' coming out.

Apparently 'Menopausal Schizophrenia' does exist which can also be triggered after giving birth! (then called Post-partum Schizopherenia)

It does make you wonder ...if it can trigger schizophrenia in neurotypical women what are the effects going to be on someone who already had MH issues and conditions such as Autism etc? No-one seems to be studying things like this!

Mine seems to be settling down now. I just wish I'd written down the date of my last period as I don't seem to have had one for months but can't remember exactly how long it has been!

downandlonely · Jan 09, 2022 at 05:05 AM

I use an app to keep track of mine. I haven't missed one since I started. I was almost 15 though, so started late.

InkyTinks · Jan 09, 2022 at 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downandlonely

I use an app to keep track of mine. I haven't missed one since I started. I was almost 15 though, so started late.

you must be a LOT younger than me... mobile phones didn't even exist when I was teenager never mind apps!!!

downandlonely · Jan 09, 2022 at 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InkyTinks

you must be a LOT younger than me... mobile phones didn't even exist when I was teenager never mind apps!!!

Oh, I mean I use the app now. I didn't have a cell phone as a teen either. But my period has always been really regular, so easy to predict.

SprinkL3 · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InkyTinks

you must be a LOT younger than me... mobile phones didn't even exist when I was teenager never mind apps!!!

When I was a teen, beepers were in fashion. Cell phones were not yet widely available; I think car phones were for the rich who could afford that. Apps weren't invented yet either.

SprinkL3 · Jan 09, 2022 at 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downandlonely

I wonder if the sudden surges in estrogen in early menopause is why some women unexpectedly get pregnant at around 40.

Excellent question. My mom had me when she was 39 and my sister when she was 41. With age comes the risk of birth defects. I had a defective foot that was corrected over time, and my sister was born with a hole in her heart. My mother was on her 2nd marriage, my father on his 3rd.

Hormones could be why some women get pregnant later in life.

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MuseumGhost Grand Magnate Member Since Apr 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,257 12 12.3k hugs given	Jan 08, 2022 at 11:26 PM #23 Inky, here's the link: https://mysupportforums.org/women-focused-support/ It's located on the very first, long page of all the Forums this site hosts, entitled HEALTH & OTHER SUPPORT (it's the fifth banner down).
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SprinkL3 Account Suspended Member Since Oct 2021 Location: DELETED Posts: 2,752 (SuperPoster!) 2 10.9k hugs given	Jan 09, 2022 at 01:02 AM #24 I like this thread! I'll need to come back when I'm more relaxed and have dealt with my hunger, LOL. But I am in my late-40s and don't know if I'm dealing with undiagnosed perimenopause or if I'm waiting for the symptoms to come full force ahead! I worry about my mental health worsening, too.
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sarahsweets Threadtastic Postaholic Member Since Dec 2018 Location: New Jersey Posts: 6,006 (SuperPoster!) 5 192 hugs given	Jan 09, 2022 at 02:50 AM #29 Menopause Information \| Mount Sinai - New York Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ "I carried a watermelon?" President of the no F's given society.
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downandlonely Legendary Member Since Mar 2018 Location: United States Posts: 10,760 (SuperPoster!) 6 10.6k hugs given	Jan 09, 2022 at 03:37 AM #31 I wonder if the sudden surges in estrogen in early menopause is why some women unexpectedly get pregnant at around 40.
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downandlonely Legendary Member Since Mar 2018 Location: United States Posts: 10,760 (SuperPoster!) 6 10.6k hugs given	Jan 09, 2022 at 05:05 AM #33 I use an app to keep track of mine. I haven't missed one since I started. I was almost 15 though, so started late.
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