Premenopause: What It Is And What Is Its Influence On The Emotional State
Premenopause is an experience that, in many cases, only implies entering a stage of life in which the ability to get pregnant practically disappears, and little else. However, it has been observed that in a significant portion of women who undergo it, it also produces other effects and symptoms, both physical and psychological.
In this article we will focus on this last aspect, seeing what they are the most common emotional changes that can occur hand in hand with entering premenopause.
Premenopause is the period of biological transition that appears just before menopause and marks the beginning of the end of the reproductive period (from the biological point of view) in the woman’s body.
This stage usually appears about 10 years before menopause, that is, around 40-45 in most women, although sometimes it can also occur at younger ages depending on some risk factors.
Some of these risk factors that can precipitate the early onset of premenopause are smoking, family history, certain cancer treatments, and some surgeries performed on the reproductive system.
As with menopause, women who go through this experience may present a series of changes and symptoms that go beyond the physical and are reflected in the woman’s emotional state, affecting her behavior.
What are the main symptoms of premenopause?
The symptoms experienced during premenopause are due to the onset of a series of changes in the body’s hormonal flows, mainly in estrogen production dynamics by the ovaries, which is released irregularly over a certain period of time. And shortly before and during menopause, the amount of estrogen that is secreted by the body decreases, and this produces a chain reaction that affects psychological elements.
This phenomenon completely changes women’s menstrual cycles, and is also associated with a series of symptoms.
1. Changes in the menstrual cycle
With the onset of premenopause, women experience a shortening of the menstrual cycle (normally it goes from 28 days to 26 days), which It represents a noticeable change in the rhythms of your body to which you were previously accustomed.
In addition to that, with the passage of time, more irregular menstrual cycles also appear, in which menstruation comes earlier or later and with longer time intervals between menstruations.
In some cases, the appearance of menstruations with heavier bleeding is also possible, in which case it is advisable to go to a health professional.
2. Sexual difficulties
The hormonal changes experienced at this stage can also affect a person’s sexual life and its symptoms are, again, both physical and psychological.
Some of the physical symptoms related to sexual behavior typical of premenopause are pain during sexual intercourse and vaginal dryness. The decrease in estrogen levels also has a direct impact on the lubrication and elasticity of the vaginal tissues.
3. Bladder problems
Urine leakage, painful sexual intercourse, and urinary or vaginal infections are very common.
To deal with this problem, it is advisable to go to a specialized gynecologist with whom you can learn new habits or healthy lifestyles and strengthen the pelvic floor.
How does premenopause affect emotional state?
Premenopause is also associated with a series of very specific psychological symptoms that, together with physical symptoms, can significantly deteriorate a person’s mental health if they are not treated. However, they do not necessarily occur in all women who go through premenopause, although they are relatively common in a large part of this segment of the population.
Some of the relatively common emotional symptoms of premenopause are changes in mood towards emotions such as sadness and a somewhat increased risk of developing depression.
These emotional symptoms can be related to physical symptoms, although sometimes they appear independently of the latter. We must not forget that the mood does not only depend on the dynamics of the release of neurotransmitters and hormones, but also It is affected by the social context and the events to which we are exposed.
For example, premenopause and menopause are phenomena that are often interpreted as a sign of weakness, a sign that a woman would be worth less in the eyes of society due to the loss of the ability to bear children (which is due to way in which femininity has been associated with childrearing tasks and the provision of offspring to men).
2. Irritability or negativity
Another emotional change linked to premenopause is a greater predisposition to experience irritability ; Episodes of anger and/or frustration appear more easily. This may be because changes in the release of estrogen have been linked to problems with memory and concentration, which makes everyday tasks somewhat more difficult and produces greater psychological wear, so the woman notices that the activities to do “overwhelm her.”
3. Sleep disturbances
In the premenopause stage they also tend to appear, according to the testimony of the majority of women and especially in the later period, difficulties sleeping well.
In this sense, night sweats, difficulties falling asleep when getting into bed, and the propensity to wake up easily and have unrefreshing sleep are relatively common.
In many women who go through premenopause, sexual desire decreases. However, it should be noted that this does not have to be a problem; It all depends on each case and the way in which the woman experiences her sexual and emotional life.
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My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia I am a psychologist specialized in cognitive-behavioral intervention, and I attend in person and also by video call.
