Beat Menopause Depression Naturally Without Drugs

One of the most distressing symptoms of the menopause is the depression that many women suffer. The realization that her childbearing days are over leaves many ladies with the feeling that they are no longer a proper woman.

Depression at the menopausal stage can take hold very slowly and varies a great deal from a sense of low mood to thoughts of self harm. Please, if you have suffered from thoughts of this nature seek medical help immediately, it is beyond the scope of this article to attempt to treat severe or suicidal depression but be assured it can be treated.

Many women experience feelings of inadequacy or low self esteem during the initial stages of the menopause and while some medical doctors still won't confirm menopause as a cause of depression there is plenty of evidence that low self worth and poor self image are symptoms that appear around this time.

One of the worst drawbacks with the world today is that the support networks that our mothers and grandmothers had available to them are no longer there. Close knit families and the wise auntie are much less in evidence so we have to garner the support we need elsewhere.

Talking through this subject with a close friend Jane Stepper she gave me a much closer insight into what it is like from a womans standpoint. She says,

"A big part of depression is a feeling of helplessness and this is made much worse by a fundamental lack of knowledge of what the menopause actually is, but let me pass on this little fact. In the 17th century 75% of women did not reach the menopause nowadays 95% of women do. Which option would you like? As my mother points out, "getting older is a bitch but it's better than the alternative!"

I experienced menopause depression symptoms for many years without knowing why and if you have felt it you will understand how debilitating it can be. The thing is it does not have to be like that and with some small alterations in your lifestyle and a re-think on your outlook life can be much happier.

A great axiom I have learned is "The map is not the territory." The map is your own personal view of the world, external to yourself, the territory is the world outside of you. We all have patterns upon which we base our views of what happens around us and when these patterns become distorted we can become depressed.

The hormonal flux in our bodies can make us prone to these distortions and the depression menopause can bring is merely a symptom of this. Fortunately through re-arranging our "map" we can once again become well again. This is not just theory, studies have proven that with stratagems such as cognitive behavior therapy and linguistic programming we can teach our brains to see that our map may be off target and be able to get back on track."

Menopause depression and anxiety respond well to these drug free and perfectly natural therapies because they are basically providing the support network that modern life styles have taken away from us. I urge you to at least try them before going down the HRT route.