You’re Not Losing Your Mind, You’re Losing Your Estrogen

Perimenopause can make you feel like you’re losing your mind. My perimenopausal journey certainly made me feel that way. I used to describe myself as having the emotional stability of a toddler. Up one minute, down the next, ready to throw a tantrum in between the two. If that sounds familiar, I need you to understand something before you read any further. There is nothing wrong with you. What you’re feeling has a real, biological cause, and once you understand it, you can stop blaming yourself for the emotional volatility you’re experiencing.

The tale of two hormones that impact more than you think

Estrogen is a hormone with receptors in every system of your body, which means as it declines, every system is impacted. This includes your skeletal system, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, immune and gastrointestinal system, and your brain and nervous system. Declining estrogen during perimenopause reduces serotonin production, the chemical responsible for regulating mood. As serotonin declines, mood swings and symptoms of depression and anxiety increase.

Then progesterone gets involved. It affects your GABA receptors, which help you feel calm and regulate sleep. As progesterone declines, anxiousness and sleep disturbances increase. As both estrogen and progesterone nosedive in perimenopause we experience mood swings, sadness, anxiousness, and sleeplessness. No wonder we throw a tantrum here and there, right?

This is hormonal volatility that has to be addressed medically. It isn’t something you can think your way out of.

This isn’t a cortisol problem an influencer can fix

You aren’t going to solve declining estrogen and progesterone with the help of an Instagram influencer selling you supplements to balance your cortisol. This is one of the claims I see made widely in social media, and it frustrates me. While cortisol may play a role in some perimenopausal symptoms, it is not the primary driver, and it’s not what’s happening to your brain.

You don’t need an influencer to help you sort this out. You need a medical partner, specifically one who’s been educated in menopause medicine. The Menopause Society certifies specialists, and they keep a list on their website. I don’t get anything for saying that. I just know how much it matters, because I’ve lived the alternative.

It took me three doctors to get an answer

It took me three different doctors before I understood I was in perimenopause. Along the way I was prescribed antidepressants twice, and the whole time I wrestled with a secret fear that I might have early onset dementia. I don’t want that to happen to you. Perimenopause is a scientific, biological change happening in your brain and body. It’s not a character flaw, and you’re not imagining your symptoms. What you’re going through is normal, even though it doesn’t feel normal at all. You can get through it, but you need a medical plan and a medical partner to take care of it. Don’t settle for someone trying to sell you supplements to handle this transition. You deserve better than that.

You’re not imagining anything, and there’s nothing wrong with you. Take care of you. You’re going to be okay.

If any of this sounds like what you’re living right now, the Midlife Reset Kit is a good place to start, a short video, a workbook, and three steps to help you see what’s actually happening. ↓