Mood Changes

Your mood changes could be caused by a lot of factors. Some researchers believe that the decrease in estrogen triggers changes in your brain causing depression. Others think that if you're depressed, irritable, and anxious, it's influenced by other symptoms you're having, such as sleep problems, hot flashes, night sweats, and fatigue-not hormonal changes. Or, it could be a combination of hormone changes and symptoms. Other things that could cause depression and/or anxiety include:

• having depression during your lifetime
• feeling negative about menopause and getting older
• increased stress
• having severe menopause symptoms
• smoking
• not being physically active
• not being happy in your relationship or not being in a relationship
• not having a job
• not having enough money
• low self-esteem (how you feel about yourself)
• not having the social support you need
• regretful that you can't have children anymore