Emotional Health During Early or Premature Menopause
During early menopause, a woman is experiencing both physical and emotional changes. All of these changes are greatly affected by the fluctuation in hormone levels that occurs during early menopause. Women who experience early menopause have the same concerns that women who have natural menopause at average age have. However, they do have a few additional concerns that have an effect on their emotional well-being.
For many women, sleep patterns are interrupted during early menopause. This is often caused by night sweats. This interruption in sleep patterns, along with the fluctuating hormones, can make a woman quite irritable. While this irritability has an effect on the people around you, it actually has a greater impact on your emotional health. You can feel that your emotions are out of control, and that you’re possibly ‘losing your minds.’
Fortunately, you’re not ‘losing your minds.’ For many women, a doctor’s confirmation of early menopause comes as a great relief. It’s an explanation for the emotional roller coaster you’ve been on. However, often, it brings about new concerns that affect your emotional well-being.
One of the biggest emotional problems for a woman experiencing early menopause is the fact that her childbearing years have come to an end. For a woman who has never had a child, this can be devastating. The decision to have a child, or another child, has been taken out of your control. Many of these women seek the advice of a fertility specialist, to find out what they can do to have a child. Options such as egg harvesting, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy are looked into. These are all viable possibilities for women experiencing early menopause, or menopause at any age. Some women greatly benefit from personal counseling to help them deal with this matter.
Sexual relationships are another concern that has a great emotional impact on women who are experiencing early menopause. The vagina becomes dry, and the lining in the vagina begins to thin. This can cause sex to become slightly painful. Desire, arousal, and orgasms are also different. All of this combined, can be devastating for a woman. But there is help. Often, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) will help with desire issues, and prescription or over-the-counter lubricants will help with vaginal dryness.
Other sexual issues that may require counseling occur as well. Sometimes women who do not have a partner fear that they can no longer find a partner due to the changes brought on by early menopause. Those who do have partners fear that they will be rejected by their partners. With early menopause, these feelings can occur during a time in a woman’s life when sexual activity is most enjoyable. Many women feel like they are missing out on this. Counseling, and couple’s counseling, can help with these issues.
Other early menopause symptoms can cause women emotional distress as well. Hot flashes, urinary issues, mood swings, and weight gain are often hard to deal with. These issues are harder to deal with for women who are in what our society considers the ‘prime’ of their lives. These issues can slow them down a bit. These women often feel like they can no longer keep up, or that they are less of a woman somehow. Again, counseling may be needed, and can greatly help.
It’s important for you to realize that all of the emotional issues concerned with early menopause can be dealt with. There are solutions, if you choose to apply them. Personal counseling and support groups are great help. When you do come out on the ‘other side’ of early menopause, you’ll find that you are a better, stronger woman, with a full life.
- Women's health Early Menopause Health Concerns Women who experience early menopause have many health concerns that they should address with their d
- Women's health Early Menopause Symptoms Most women think that menopause doesn’t occur until a woman is in her late forties or early to mid
- Women's health Fertility in Early Menopause Many women mistakenly believe that they cannot become pregnant during early menopause. However, preg
- Women's health Hormone Replacement Therapy and Early Menopause Menopause, including early menopause, can affect the quality of a woman's life for several years, an
- Women's health Early Menopause – Nutrition & Vitamins Menopause is called the 'change of life' for a reason. Not only are changes occurring in a woman's b
- Children's health Premature Menopause in Girls – It CAN Happen The average age range for menopause is 45 - 55 years old, and premature menopause is defined as meno
- Women's health Early Menopause – the Ways to Prevent In most cases, early menopause cannot be prevented. Early menopause occurs for a wide variety of rea
- Women's health Hormone Tests For Early Menopause There are hormone tests that can easily be performed by your doctor to determine if you’re going t
- Women's health Natural Remedies for The Relief of Symptoms Associated With Early Menopause If you elect not to use Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for treatment of your early menopause symp
- Women's health Bleeding in Early Menopause During early menopause, periods become irregular, but bleeding is quite normal. In most cases, there
- Women's health Early Menopause Causes What Causes Early Menopause? In some cases, the reason for early menopause is clear: you’ve had yo
- Women's health Premature Ovarian Failure (POF): What is it and who’s at risk? Approximately 1-4% of the female population has Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). Women are normally
- Women's health Menopause Menopause is a topic of great discussion both in medical circles and with women in general! Let's st
- Women's health Early Menopause Glossary Amenorrhoea: Complete absence or stoppage of periods Angina: A disease marked by brief attacks of ch
- Women's health Perimenopause Leads to Menopause A natural and gradual change. Menopause is the final menstrual period that usually occurs between th

