Menopause: more than a hot flash

Menopause has officially entered the chat. Public figures like Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, and Kate Winslet have been using their platforms to break the stigma around menopause. With this shift in narrative comes a huge increase in information. We often talk a lot about the physical symptoms of menopause, such as weight gain, hot flashes, or joint pain, to name a few. However, mental health symptoms are also part of this mix and often overlooked, despite research showing an estimated 38% of women experience symptoms of depression in late perimenopause. This is a high figure, considering the fact that 50 million women in the US are currently navigating menopause.

 To learn more, we connected with Grace Veras Sealy, a menopause guide at Elektra Health. Read our interview with Grace below:

What is the biggest misconception about menopause that still exists today?

The biggest misconception around menopause is that the only symptom is hot flashes. Many don’t realize that menopause can cause sleeplessness and impact your mood. It can also cause joint pain or increase cholesterol. There are physical and mental symptoms that impact every person differently.

How does menopause impact mental health?

There are many reasons why menopause affects mental health. There’s often a lack of control. Your hormones are suddenly doing things they haven’t done before. The changes in your body can disrupt your sense of normalcy, which can impact things like your sleep schedule. When you’re operating on less sleep, your emotions can heighten. The decrease in estrogen also causes changes in the brain. That’s why menopause can often cause depression and unrestrained anger, making it more difficult to deal with the stresses of everyday life.

What lifestyle changes can someone make to help mitigate mental health symptoms of menopause?

Part of the issue with menopause is that it is so stigmatized. So, the most important thing you can do is talk about it. Whether it’s with your primary care provider or therapist, it’s important to prioritize the conversation with a trusted source. This can help you deal with the physical symptoms, such as lack of sleep, fatigue, digestion issues, or weight gain.

What role does nutrition play?

Nutrition is very important. It’s often more challenging for women to lose weight due to hormonal fluctuations that cause weight to be distributed in certain ways.

Whole foods are better for your gut. This is where serotonin is processed, impacting mood. So, I often recommend the Mediterranean diet, which includes whole grains, legumes, low-fat meats, lots of fish, and olive oil. The better your overall health, the better you'll feel emotionally and physically.

What should be a top priority when navigating menopause?

The number one thing is managing stress. Stress is a major cause of inflammation, which can cause a lot of physical issues. To relieve that stress, it’s best to find an outlet to slow down. It might be meditation, journaling, going for a walk, spending time with friends, or simply listening to music. It’s important for your body to slow down and just be.

When should someone consider seeking the help of a mental health professional for menopause?
If your symptoms are continuously having an effect on your everyday life, you may benefit from speaking to a mental health professional. If you’re noticing that you’re feeling depressed six days out of the week, it might be time to intervene. Whether it’s therapy, medication, or a combination of both, you can work with your provider network to put a plan in place so that you feel better. Some providers can also provide cognitive behavioral therapy: a form of psychotherapy that aims to improve mental health by addressing the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

How can we normalize conversations about menopause?

Menopause signals the end of a woman’s reproductive life. Some may view this as a deficiency in women. That’s because fertility is considered to be highly important in women's lives. While this doesn’t apply to everyone, society tends to assume that because a person is at the end of fertility, there is nothing else we can offer society. But the reality is that women on the other side of menopause often experience the best years of their lives. Working as a menopause guide, I frequently hear women say, “There's so much in front of me. I have so much more wisdom and less to care about.” This makes it a lot easier to cope with everyday life.

How can family members and friends support a loved one going through menopause?

I would say No. 1 is being informed. Be aware that menopause is a normal part of life, but it's also an uncomfortable time in women's lives. Menopause is a hormonal event that I would equate to puberty. Imagine puberty, but in reverse. When they go through puberty, they might feel anxious or angry. We know that this is to be expected. A similar hormone imbalance occurs during menopause.

What advice would you give to women who might feel isolated or misunderstood during menopause?

Know that you’re not alone. It happens to literally all women lucky enough to be alive during this stage of life. Not everyone goes through it in the same way. So don’t have an expectation, because everyone’s symptoms will differ. You shouldn’t have an expectation that it’s going to be horrible. With the right support in place, symptoms can lessen. There are ways to get support now more than ever.

As part of our women’s health portfolio, Mass General Brigham Health Plan members can access menopause support through Elektra Health. This may include a custom wellness plan,

guided support, and engaging with their private community for peer support. This offering is available to many of our fully-insured commercial members. Elektra Health is a first-of-its-kind digital health platform dedicated to empowering midlife women with telemedicine care, MD-vetted menopause education, and a private community.

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