Mood swings in women have mostly been attributed to PMS. Sometimes we will hear comments like, “She must be PMSing.” Although mood swings can be a result of PMS there is a time in a woman’s life when it’s actually related to perimenopause. As women approach age 40 they may begin to experience intense mood swings not realizing they are due to perimenopause.
Our family has been going through a difficult time with a failing marriage. When we got together for Easter we were without one particular family member and were discussing the marriage problems. It was brought up how this missing family member had been experiencing some pretty wild mood swings. Although the marriage definitely has its issues, it almost seemed like there was more to it. The behavior of this family member was very unlike her. She would experience moments of just raging out of control. It was my mother-in-law who piped up, “It’s probably pre-menopause.” Now the men in our family seemed almost reluctant to give credit to that. But the rest of us, who are women, completely understood.
Amongst other symptoms, perimenopause (also known as pre-menopause) can create mood swings. One minute you may feel like screaming your head off and the next minute you are ready to cry. It is completely normal during this time but unfortunately, many women don’t understand this. They may even think they are going crazy or that something is mentally wrong with them.
Mood swings are the result of hormonal imbalances. When the body isn’t balanced hormonally, it can react with mood swings and irritability. There is so much change happening to a woman’s body during perimenopause and it can greatly affect a woman’s mood. It’s important that if you are experiencing drastic mood swings you contact your doctor. There are medicines and alternative treatments available to help with these symptoms.
I’ve noticed changes in my mood during this time as well and have seen positive results by taking Vitamin’s E and B-6 everyday. However, the mood swings may be different for each person and should be evaluated by a doctor. It’s helpful to know as a woman that perimenopause is very real and can have serious affects on you. You are not alone and thankfully, perimenospause doesn’t last forever.
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