Menopause Hormone Therapy

Menopause Hormone Therapy & Mental Health

Most women are aware that the hormonal decline of menopause can cause “mood swings” and “brain fog”. But recent clinical studies have also shown that menopause can trigger or aggravate many other more serious, pre-existing mental health problems.

Fortunately, the hormone decline of menopause and its associated side-effects can be treated. Recent advancements in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) now enable doctors to safely, effectively, and conveniently restore and balance female hormones. Not only can BHRT alleviate many of the physical symptoms of menopause, but there is evidence that hormone therapy can also help treat many mental disorders associated in menopausal women.

Mental Health, Menopause & Hormones

Endocrinologists are doctors who specialize in the body’s hormones. Psychiatrists treat mental health and neurologists focus on understanding and treating the brain and nervous system. Recently, medical researcher have combined these three separate disciplines into a field of medicine called “psycho-neuroendocrinology” – which is the study of hormone’s role in regulating mental health.

And researchers in this exciting new field have recently made some promising breakthrough discoveries. Clinical studies have shown that the use of hormone balancing treatments may offer a natural approach to improving mental health and/or restoring the brain to optimal functioning in menopausal women.

Depression and Menopause

Scientists still do not completely understand the link between depression and menopause. But they do know that women with a past history of depression and/or anxiety are at greater risk of experiencing a recurrence of depression or anxiety during menopause.

While menopause itself is not believed to cause depression or anxiety, researchers believe that the hormone declines and imbalances of perimenopause and menopause aggravate or put a woman at a higher risk of a relapse of these mental health conditions.

Bipolar Disorder and Menopause

Menopause has also been shown in clinical studies to increase symptoms of bipolar disorder. This research confirms that women with bipolar disorder are more sensitive to menopausal hormonal shifts.

During menopause, women afflicted with bipolar disorder report significantly more depressive episodes. Researchers believe that this is likely due to the decrease in the female hormone estrogen, which universally occurs during menopause.

Schizophrenia and Menopause

Severe mental conditions that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions are called psychotic disorders and include schizophrenia. Psychotic disorders can be characterized by delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, and “losing touch with reality”.

Schizophrenia typically develops during early adulthood, but there is often a second peak of schizophrenia symptoms in women around the time of menopause. Medical researchers believe this is because a decline in estrogen levels can trigger or aggravate certain psychotic conditions.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Menopause

Clinical studies have also identified a link between hormone decline and Alzheimer’s disease in menopausal women. While there is believed to be a genetic component to Alzheimer’s, estrogen is believed to offer brain protection from this type of cognitive decline. Based on recent studies, researchers now believe that hormone therapy in menopausal women may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease as well as dementia.

Hormone Therapy for Menopause Mental Issues

Psychiatric drugs can be an important component of treating women who suffer from depression, anxiety, trauma, schizophrenia, PTSD and a wide range of other psychiatric illnesses. However, medications often have dangerous, long-term complications and side-effects.

Alternatively, restoring and re-balancing a woman’s hormones during menopause can naturally support and improve brain health and mental functioning – which can help eliminate some patient’s reliance on harsh psychiatric pharmaceuticals.

This makes sense, given the clear link established by recent research between psychiatric disorders and hormone deficiency.  Since all women experience declining, imbalanced or insufficient hormones during menopause – and many preexisting psychiatric conditions worsen during menopause – hormone therapy appears to be a very promising treatment for brain function in menopausal women.

Menopause Hormone Therapy | Dearborn, MI

Hormones affect every aspect of a woman’s human body – including  brain health and cognition. Restoring hormonal balance to menopausal women with hormone therapy may prove to be more effective and have fewer dangerous side effects than harsh psychiatric medications.

If you are menopausal woman who is experiencing mood swings, “brain fog,” depression, anxiety, or an increase in any mental or psychiatric symptoms, schedule an appointment at AHA Women’s Health in Dearborn, MI today. Our caring women’s health and menopause experts will help you decide if hormone replacement therapy is right for you.

Menopause Hormone Therapy | Dearborn, MI: 313-388-4247