Is It Menopause or Is It Me? Understanding Menopause Mood Swings

It was a wet towel on the bed. That was all. Your 16-year-old left it there, like he does every single day. But this morning, something in you snapped. Your voice came out louder and sharper than you meant. He stared at you, shocked. Ten minutes later you were in the bathroom with the tap running, so nobody would hear you cry, looking in the mirror and asking: who is this woman?

If you have lived a moment like this, you are not turning into a bad mother or a difficult wife. Menopause mood swings are real, they are common, and they have a chemical cause. You are still you. Your brain chemistry is simply going through a big change.

What Estrogen has to do with your mood

Serotonin, your steady-mood messenger

Oestrogen does far more than run your periods. In the brain, it helps manage serotonin, one of the main chemicals behind a steady, settled mood. When oestrogen levels swing up and down in the years before menopause, serotonin signalling can swing with them.

GABA, your brain's natural brake

Hormones from the progesterone family are turned into calming compounds that work on GABA. When these hormones rise and fall unpredictably, that brake may not respond as smoothly as before.

Think of your kitchen pressure cooker. For years its whistle released steam gently and on time. Now imagine the weight on top is a little loose: sometimes pressure builds with no release, then it all comes out at once, loudly, over something as small as a wet towel. The cooker is not broken. The valve needs support.

Menopause mood swings: is it menopause or is it me?

Here is the part that brings real relief: a study that followed women with no past history of depression found they were more likely to have low mood during the menopausal transition than before it, and that changing hormone levels were part of the picture. In simple words, the mood shift is linked to the transition itself. It is not a sign of weakness or a flaw in your character.

Perimenopause anxiety can show up as a racing heart at night, worrying about everything, or feeling you cannot cope with things you handled easily at 35. Menopause irritability can feel like rage over small things. Some women feel flat, tearful or disconnected. All of these are recognised emotional changes during menopause.

“It was never really about the towel. It was the loose valve.”

What helps you feel steady again

Name it out loud

Telling your family, I am going through a hormonal change and sometimes my reactions are bigger than I want them to be, takes a lot of weight off everyone. Teenagers understand more than we think.

Move, rest and reconnect

A 20-minute brisk walk around the colony or the terrace can lift mood. Protect your sleep, because a tired brain has a shorter fuse. Laughing with women your age is powerful medicine.

Know when to see a doctor

If low mood lasts more than two weeks, if you stop enjoying things you used to love, or if you have thoughts of harming yourself, speak to a doctor soon. That is care, not failure.

Where plant research fits in

Saffron at 30 mg a day, studied for six weeks in postmenopausal women with low mood and hot flashes, improved both mood scores and how much hot flashes disrupted daily life. Ashwagandha root extract, taken as 300 mg twice a day, was linked with lower stress scores and lower cortisol, the body's stress hormone, in stressed adults.

No Pause in you brings these together in one pomegranate-peach flavoured sachet: 30 mg of saffron and 600 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, alongside Soy Life isoflavones, to support emotional balance while your hormones find their new rhythm. It works best as part of a routine that includes rest, movement and people who love you.

The towel, one month later

The towel is on the bed again. Of course it is: he is 16. But this time you take a breath, pick it up and call out, beta, last warning, next time it goes in your school bag. He laughs. You laugh. The morning moves on. You are not becoming someone else. You are becoming someone who understands herself better.

Today, tell one person at home, in your own words, that your mood swings are hormonal and that you are working on them. Watch how much lighter the house feels.

Written by: Dr. Indraneel

Disclaimer

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. No Pause in you is a nutraceutical supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak to your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you have a medical condition or take regular medication. Individual results may vary.

References

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2. Gordon JL, Girdler SS, Meltzer-Brody SE, Stika CS, Thurston RC, Clark CT, et al. Ovarian hormone fluctuation, neurosteroids, and HPA axis dysregulation in perimenopausal depression: a novel heuristic model. Am J Psychiatry. 2015;172(3):227-36.

3. Freeman EW, Sammel MD, Lin H, Nelson DB. Associations of hormones and menopausal status with depressed mood in women with no history of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2006;63(4):375-82.

4. Kashani L, Esalatmanesh S, Eftekhari F, Salimi S, Foroughifar T, Etesam F, et al. Efficacy of Crocus sativus (saffron) in treatment of major depressive disorder associated with post-menopausal hot flashes: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2018;297(3):717-24.

5. Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-62.