Why Menopause doesn’t just affect the body, it affects the brain too
One of the things I've learned through my additional training in menopause and women's mental health is that menopause doesn't just affect the body, it affects the brain, too.
When most people think about menopause, they think about hot flashes and night sweats. Those symptoms definitely deserve attention, but I don’t think enough women are given information about how the hormonal changes that happen during perimenopause and menopause can also affect our mood, emotions, memory, and our ability to cope.
Honestly, I wish every woman knew this before she reached this stage of life. It’s so common for women in this phase of life to feel like they aren’t themselves, which is confusing, as they might become more anxious, feel less resilient, and sometimes feel like they are losing it. Thankfully, once they know more, there is an explanation that makes sense.
What's Happening in the Brain During Perimenopause & Menopause?
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause, and for many women it can last several years. During this time, estrogen levels fluctuate and gradually decline. While estrogen is often associated with reproductive health, it also plays an important role in the brain.
Estrogen influences several neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine, which help regulate mood, stress, emotional wellbeing, memory, and cognition. As hormone levels change, many women notice an increase in anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, irritability or a shorter fuse, lower mood, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, emotionally reactive, and have difficulty making decisions that used to be a piece of cake.
Not every woman experiences these changes, and every woman's perimenopause experience is different. Hormones are only one piece of the picture, but they can play a much bigger role than many of us realize.
Why Does it Feel so Difficult?
One of the reasons perimenopause can feel so overwhelming is that it often arrives during a demanding stage of life.
Many women are balancing careers, raising teenagers or young adults, caring for aging parents, navigating relationship changes, and wondering what this next chapter of life will look like.
When hormonal changes are layered on top of those everyday pressures, it's understandable that coping can become more difficult.
It’s not just the hormones alone. It’s the hormone fluctuations and decline, alongside all of those other things a woman is dealing with and managing. Mental health is always influenced by many different factors, and understanding how the hormones impact our brain, behaviour and emotions can help us to understand and make sense of our experience.
Understanding Leads to Self-Compassion
Thankfully, we're talking about menopause much more than we used to. It’s all over social media, and women seem to be talking about it with much more openness then previous generations.
I still do wish that every woman knew about the emotional and cognitive changes that can happen before they reached this stage of life. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I think it’s so important for women to have this information. As a former teacher, I come by this part of mental health honestly; the psychoeducation element is so important for people to understand why things are happening the way they are at this phase of life. It helps women from thinking there is something wrong with them, and normalizes the experience, so they can figure out what they can do to make their lives easier right now.
And it’s important to know that understanding what’s happening isn’t going to make symptoms go away, but it can replace a lot of our fear with knowledge, and criticism with compassion. Instead of feeling like we are failing, we can understand that our bodies are going through a natural transition all women go through, and all women experience differently.
What Can Help During Perimenopause?
There isn't one solution that works for everyone, but there are many supports that can make this stage feel more manageable.
Some things that can be helpful:
Learn about the connection between hormones and mental health to make sense of what’s happening.
Prioritize sleep and rest.
Move the body in ways that feel supportive rather than punishing.
Practice mindfulness to slow racing thoughts and reconnect with the present moment.
Set healthier boundaries and reduce unnecessary stress when possible.
Talk with a family doctor or healthcare provider about symptoms that are affecting the quality of life.
Seek counselling for additional support.
In my counselling practice, I also draw on evidence-based approaches such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Skills like mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance can be incredibly helpful when emotions feel more intense or life feels overwhelming. They don't stop hormonal changes from happening, but they can help you respond to them with greater confidence and resilience.
You Don't Have to Figure It Out by Yourself
One of my hopes in writing articles like this isn't to tell women how they should experience these life transitions, but it’s to help explain what's happening, answer some of the questions that so many women have, and offer practical ideas that may help along the way. Many parts of perimenopause can feel like things are not normal. My hope is that by sharing information like this, you'll spend less time wondering what's wrong with you and more time understanding what's happening.
Feeling understood and supported during this transition is so important.
We often talk about new moms needing a village, but I also really think women navigating perimenopause and menopause need one too.
Looking for a Perimenopause Anxiety Counsellor in Port Moody?
If you're finding that anxiety, emotional overwhelm, grief, or life changes are making this stage of life feel harder than it used to, you don't have to navigate it alone.
I offer in-person counselling in Port Moody, conveniently located for women in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, as well as virtual counselling for clients throughout British Columbia.
If you'd like to explore whether counselling might be helpful, I'd be happy to meet with you for a free 15-minute consultation. You can learn more or get in touch through my contact page.
This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every woman's experience of perimenopause and menopause is unique. If you're concerned about your symptoms or have questions about your health, please speak with your physician or another qualified healthcare provider.