Can stress cause emotional problems during menopause?

In menopause, the adrenal glands are responsible for taking over the ovaries production of estrogen and progesterone.  Due to the fact that the adrenal glands also support neurotransmitter balance, and hormones affect these mood chemical messengers, emotional issues can be more frequent in menopause. Therefore, if a woman is chronically stressed out, menopause will create not only an imbalance of progesterone and estrogen ratios, but in less ability to deal with mood, inflammatory, and stress related illnesses.

 If a woman is experiencing hormonal symptoms, support can be given to help her balance through lifestyle, nutritional support, and adrenal and hormonal balancing herbals. If estrogen is low, herbals such as red clover, black cohosh, or other phytoestrogens can be used. Progesterone support can be found in other herbals such as wild yam.

Still, it’s important to assess what the cause of the hormonal imbalance is. We already discussed adrenal stress, but in my clinic, I look at the cause of stress and what is throwing off the hormonal balance. For example, blood sugar fluctuations, gut disturbances, liver support, and inflammation can all interplay in this complex hormonal dance.