What Treatments Are There for Menopause & Anger?
During the transitional period of time right before menopause, called perimenopause, many women experience mood swings and anger, in addition to physical changes. While perimenopause may seem to be causing the anger to erupt and other moods swings, it is really the rapid fluctuations in hormone production that exacerbate problems that may already exist. Fortunately, women have available a lot of treatments and lifestyle changes to alleviate anger during the menopause years.
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Exercise
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One of the easiest changes to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle is the addition of exercise. Exercise boosts the production of endorphins in the system, which then leads to improved mood, and fewer violent mood swings. Exercise is a great stress reducer, with antidepressant and anxiety-reducing effects.
Women who exercise on a regular basis typically have fewer mental-health issues. Walking just for 30 minutes three times a week can have a significant impact on your anger symptoms during perimenopause.
When you are feeling stressed and anxious, there is no better way to relieve these symptoms than by engaging in some strenuous exercise. Take out your frustrations at the gym. Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise regime. It can take as much as four months of regular exercise to notice any improvements in mood swings.
Serotonin
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In addition to stimulating endorphins in the body, exercise also stimulates and boosts serotonin levels. Serotonin helps to direct processes and cycles within the body. While serotonin levels can also be improved with diet, such as adding more complex carbohydrates to the diet, exercise is a simple way to increase serotonin levels in the body. This also enables women in menopause to sleep better, which can lead to lower stress and anger levels.
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Diet
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Diet plays an integral role when it comes to treating anger symptoms during menopause. Make sure to eat a diet that is high in protein, especially foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids. Eat more fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel for beneficial omega-3s. Flax seed oil is another good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are helpful in dealing with stress, anxiety and depression, along with anger. Limit consumption of sugar, caffeine and carbohydrates.
Supplements
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Along with adding diet and exercise to your lifestyle, you can add supplements to help with symptoms of anger during perimenopause and menopause.
Amino acid tryptophan is a natural compound most famously found in turkey and is a natural soother and stress reliever. It helps to increase levels of serotonin.
Gamma amino butyric acic or GABA is a good tranquilizer for mood swings and tension.
B-complex vitamins also can play a role in boosting mood and improving tension and stress levels in menopausal women.
Significance
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When compared to women who are not in menopause or perimenopause, women who are going through menopause and perimenopause have almost twice as much chance of experiencing anger, along with depression and major mood swings. Even if you are taking hormone-replacement therapy to treat other symptoms, you may still experience the above mood swings and complaints.
Check with your physician for a comprehensive plan to treat all your symptoms of menopause including anger.
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