Observations placeholder
Psychosis and the menopause
Identifier
006743
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
What an intriguing bit of research. The implication is that hormone fluctuations can be so great in some women that it causes permanent 'psychosis'
In effect, the overdose damages the brain
A description of the experience
CNS Spectr. 2005 Jun;10(6):471-8. Perimenopausal mental disorders: epidemiology and phenomenology. Rasgon N, Shelton S, Halbreich U. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Standord, CA 94305-5723, USA. nrasgon@stanford.edu
Perimenopause, the interval of irregular menstrual activity which directly precedes menopause, is characterized by widely fluctuating hormone levels amidst a large-scale decline in circulating estrogen.
This phase in a woman's life is typically accompanied by physical discomforts including vasomotor symptoms, such as headaches, insomnia, and hot flushes, as well as genital atrophy.
Not surprisingly, studies suggest a significant increase in mood lability for women during this time. While some evidence points toward an exacerbation of bipolar mood symptoms and an increase in schizophrenic psychosis during perimenopause, the majority of research conducted on perimenopausal mental disorders has focused on unipolar depression.
Studies vary widely in methodology, definitions of menopausal status, and degrees of depression among subjects; however, the majority of findings indicate an increased susceptibility to depression during the perimenopausal transition.
This greater susceptibility may be due to neuroendocrine effects of declining estrogen levels, the subjective experience of somatic symptoms resulting from this hormonal decline, and/or the more frequent occurrence of "exit" or "loss" events for women during this stage of life.
At this time, more research is needed to address questions of prevalence, risk, and etiology for depression and other major mental disorders as related to the physiological and psychosocial changes associated with perimenopause.
PMID: 15908901
The source of the experience
PubMedConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
Symbols
Science Items
Activities and commonsteps
Activities
Overloads
DepressionEstrogen imbalance
Menopause
Sleep deprivation, insomnia and mental exhaustion
Suppressions
Brain damageManic depression
Schizophrenia