Pre menopause/ menopause - can it cause bad mental health issues?

[holidayssoon]

This is a serious question. Does the pre menopause/ menopause mentally affect you as in literally make you go a bit mad? I have a long term friend around menopause age. In the last 6-9 months she has gone extremely strange to the extent where her partner thought she might seriously be having mental issues. Her entire behaviour is entirely out of character, she repeatedly threatens divorce, has distanced herself from her children, has become extremely lazy (out of character), blames everyone else for any priblems, will not take responsibility for anything and is really not herself at all. She refuses to go to see a doctor.

Today a colleague of mine suggested that she might be premenopausal and these could be extremely bad symptoms. I have no idea if this is a thing or indeed it is a common thing and should be grateful for peoples thoughts on this if they have some experience. Thank you.

Personally I'm finding the emotional/mental symptoms of menopause much more difficult to deal with than the physical ones. That's not to say this is what your friend is going through.

Yes I reckon it could trigger mental health problems via the sudden changes in hormone levels

Everyone's experience is different. In my case life went on as normal.

Possibly. I’m Peri menopausal and I know I’m not the person I used to be. Anxious, paranoid, depressed, lethargic, anti social. I’m hoping to start HRT shortly

I found perimenopause really brought up ALL my unfinished business and insisted I deal with it NOW, never mind irregular periods, weird symptoms and the rest of life going on as normal and making its own demands. The emotional stuff was definitely the tough stuff. Just be a friend, OP, and offer support if she seems open to it. Unless you are feeling very very brave, I wouldn’t mention the meno’ as a cause for her problems - hormonal shifts can act like a magnifying glass for underlying issues unrelated to them.

Google PMDD

A friend of mine left her husband and puts it entirely down to menopause

Short answer. Yes. Try hrt

Surely some of it was down to the husband though?

Menopause was absolutely terrible for me triggered severe depression and low mood. HRT didn't help so had to go on antidepressants as well. They have helped a lot but still get bad days when I just don't want to be here. Also Menopause has buggered up my sleep so got chronic insomnia which doesn't help help