You're going through menopause and suddenly, you've lost all control of your moods. You might be happy one moment, and then angry or depressed the next. Furthermore, this instability is beginning to affect your life - your relationships, performance at work, and interest in certain activities. What can you do about it?
Fortunately, it is possible to regulate mood swings as you transition through menopause. Relatively simple methods that tackle the root causes of this common symptom can help you regain control over your emotions and your life. Keep reading to learn more about how to keep a level head when you're suffering from menopausal mood swings.
What Causes Mood Swings?
Mood swings are a result of a natural hormonal imbalance that occurs during menopause. Although the cause is biological, mood swings can be exacerbated by poor lifestyle choices and high levels of stress. For this reason, effective methods to curb menopausal mood swings focus on both lifestyle changes and treatments to correct hormonal imbalance.
Exercise Regularly
Sure, you hear it all the time: exercise is the cure to all that ails you. While it may be all-too-common advice, boosting exercise is especially effective when it comes to controlling mood swings. Regular, moderate exercise helps relieve menopausal symptoms two ways. The first is by releasing endorphins and other pleasure-inducing chemicals into your system to create a “feel good” sensation. Additionally, regular exercise is thought to boost your body's production of estrogen and progesterone, two of the hormones that when decreased, lead to mood swings and other menopausal symptoms.
Take a Breath
Stress is your body's natural motivational tool, but in high doses, it can wreak havoc on your physical well-being and emotional stability. Additionally, high stress triggers more frequent and more severe menopausal mood swings. Try making some time for yourself every day. Anything you do to take your mind off of your troubles will significantly help regulate your moods.
Go Alternative
So, you're exercising more and have begun managing your stress, but you're still plagued by vacillating moods? Fortunately, there are several alternative medicines that can help balance hormone levels and control your mood swings. Many women turn to estrogenic herbs that naturally balance hormones like black cohosh, dong quai, and ginseng. Another option is to use a non-estrogenic herb that boosts your body's natural production of estrogen without introducing any new chemicals into the body. Of course, it is best to talk to a doctor before beginning any alternative treatment regimen.
So there you have it, tips that should have you on the road to emotional balance in no time. Want to learn more? Click on the following link to read more about mood swings risk factors.
Sources
- Amin, Zenab, Turhan Canli, and C. Neill Epperson. "Effects of Estrogen-Serotonin Interactions on Mood and Cognition". Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev 2005; 4; 43.
- Dr. Love, Susan, and Karen Lindsey. Dr. Susan Love's Menopause and Hormone Book. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2003.
- Molecular Psychiatry.(n.d)."Estrogen Promotes Gender Difference in Brain's Response to Stress". Retrieved from www.psycheducation.org.
- The Health Center.(n.d)"Adult Mood Swings". Retrieved from www.thehealthcenter.info.