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Depression and Menopause
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 during 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 also
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 progesterone 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 the start to feel that their is nothing
they can do and a feeling of hopelessness 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 depression 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.
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| NHC Report: Gaston fades from tropical storm to depression - Reuters Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:03:09 GMT+00:00 Los Angeles Times (blog)NHC Report: Gaston fades from tropical storm to depressionReutersNEW YORK (Reuters) - Gaston weakened from a tropical storm to a tropical depression in the central Atlantic as winds faded and it churned west-northwestward ...Gaston back down to tropical depression; NC could feel Earl by this afternoonPalm Beach Post (blog)Gaston now a tropical depression, no longer tropical stormWPECGaston downgraded to a depression, aims toward CaribbeanFOX43.comWSAV-TV -Platinum News Online -Baltimore Sun (blog)all 11,562 news articles »
| | | Stigma of depression diagnosis hard to overcome for Andrews - USA Today Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:09:46 GMT+00:00 Stigma of depression diagnosis hard to overcome for AndrewsUSA Today"I didn't know what depression was. I just held a lot of things in. I didn't know who to talk to because I felt I'd get a biased opinion. ...Derailed by injuries, depression, Andrews on road to recoveryNFL Newsall 2 news articles »
| | | Neuronetics Uses Magnetism to Lift Depression - BusinessWeek Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:49:50 GMT+00:00 Neuronetics Uses Magnetism to Lift DepressionBusinessWeekPennsylvania startup Neuronetics has commercialized the treatment of depression with electromagnetic pulses. The FDA has approved By Jennifer L. Schenker ...
| | | Lower Access to Care for Low-Income Mothers with Depression - PsychCentral.com Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:28:34 GMT+00:00 PsychCentral.comLower Access to Care for Low-Income Mothers with DepressionPsychCentral.comFindings also revealed that low-income mothers suffering from depression were less likely to breastfeed their infants for the first year of life as ...NAMI Offers Local Communities Support Amid State Mental Health Crisis24-7PressRelease.com (press release)Mental health classes to start this monthSouth Bend TribuneHearts & Minds: NAMI Highlights Meditation, Yoga and Other 'Mindfulness ...PR Newswire (press release)all 24 news articles »
| | | Depression in preschoolers? - Austin American-Statesman (blog) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:57:16 GMT+00:00 Depression in preschoolers?Austin American-Statesman (blog)The first, an article about depression in preschool-aged children, appeared last weekend in the New York Times Magazine. The writer describes the growing ...and more »
| | | The Inflation Cure - New York Times (blog) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:24:11 GMT+00:00 The Inflation CureNew York Times (blog)Actually, we have a good example: the end of the Great Depression. The immediate cause of the depression's end was, of course, a very large fiscal stimulus, ...Embracing inflation cont'dWashington Post (blog)all 2 news articles »
| | | Study Shows SAM-eTreats Depression - eMaxHealth Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:21:25 GMT+00:00 PsychCentral.comStudy Shows SAM-eTreats DepressioneMaxHealthAccording to the investigators, led by George I. Papakostas, MD, of the Center for Treatment-Resistant Depression at Massachusetts General Hospital and ...Study Shows SAMe May Ease DepressionNew York Times (blog)SAMe Aids in Depression TreatmentNatural Products MarketplaceStudy: Dietary Supplement May Treat Major DepressionAOL Health (blog)Dr. Cutler -About.com: Health -RedOrbitall 16 news articles »
| | | Bernanke rejects notion that he could have saved Lehman - MiamiHerald.com Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:52:48 GMT+00:00 Telegraph.co.ukBernanke rejects notion that he could have saved LehmanMiamiHerald.com"Before I came to the Fed chairmanship, I was an academic, and I studied for many years the Great Depression, financial crises, and this is my bread and ...Flawed decisions killed Lehman, ex-CEO testifiesBoston GlobeBernanke Says He Wasn't `Straightforward' on LehmanBloombergBernanke says Fed had to let Lehman failLos Angeles TimesThe Guardian (blog) -MarketWatch -Courthouse News Serviceall 1,507 news articles »
| | | 'Working Girl' Big Idea Needed for 1990s Redux: Caroline Baum - Bloomberg Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:20:28 GMT+00:00 'Working Girl' Big Idea Needed for 1990s Redux: Caroline BaumBloombergThe current slump already ranks as the longest period of sustained weakness since the Great Depression....Once- in-a-lifetime dislocations...will take years ...and more »
| | | Ben Bernanke's Labor Day Reading List - Wall Street Journal (blog) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:19:22 GMT+00:00 Ben Bernanke's Labor Day Reading ListWall Street Journal (blog)Bernanke's recommendation is high praise considering that he's a Great Depression scholar. On most days, Bernanke can move markets with every utterance. ...and more »
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