Is Irritability a Natural Outcome of Menopause?
by Jennifer Bunn, RN
Many women report feeling irritated more easily and more often during perimenopause and menopause. In fact, it is so common that it has become the brunt of many jokes. However, feeling irritable all the time is not funny to the women experiencing this symptom and may often lead to its evil twin, depression.
There are differing schools of thought about what causes irritability in perimenopause and menopause. Hormone fluctuations are thought to play a large role in irritability, much the same as they do during the time before menstruation begins for some women (as in pre-menstrual syndrome). Others believe that concomitant changes in the body during menopause that result in unwanted symptoms (i.e. hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances) are to blame for a women’s moodiness.
There may be other reasons as well. Perimenopause marks a drastic change in a woman’s body and may lead to lower self-esteem and body issues. Perimenopause may be seen as synonymous with aging. Women who have not accomplished all that they have hoped for may feel as if time is running out, and women who had hoped to have children (or more children) may be faced with the likelihood that they may not accomplish their goal. All of these factors, combined with physical changes, may lead to irritation and feelings of depression for some women.
Women who experience these symptoms should know that they are not alone. Although some women sail through perimenopause and menopause with nary a scrape, others experience all the symptoms in the book (and some that they didn’t know about). The most important thing to remember about menopause is that it doesn’t last forever, and negative feelings will eventually fade away. If feelings of irritability or depression linger and affect a woman’s life negatively, help should be sought.
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