MENOPAUSE, MIDLIFE AND MIND

 Menopause is an important time in a woman’s life when the risk of mental and emotional issues increases. Hormonal changes during menopause can seriously affect mental health, leading to a range of psychological problems, including:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue and tiredness
  • Irritability and anger
  • Poor memory and concentration
  • Low self-esteem
  • Low self-confidence
  • Low mood
  • Mood swings
  • Fear of abandonment
  • Fear of loss of feminity
  • Fear of loss of attraction

Menopause is a natural process like puberty in which body change occurs when a woman’s menstrual periods stop permanently, usually between the ages of 45 and 55. It’s caused by a reduction in estrogen levels and the loss of function of ovaries. The physiological changes of menopause might have little significance than the psychological changes or stresses caused by life changes or midlife crises. Whatever the signs and symptoms are manifested in menopause are less connected to the hormonal changes and more to the issues of self-esteem, and self-confidence coming out from how the woman copes with these changes and also the social stigma attached to it.

A woman from the age of 45 to 55 goes through considerable mental and emotional changes coming from the changing roles and self-esteem. In this period of a woman's life, her children might leave her, and she anticipates retirement life, fear of loss of attractiveness and feminity or womanhood. There might be separation or divorce from the partner, a midlife crisis, or the arrival of a newborn grandchild in the family.

In this scenario, a woman's personality comes into play about how she will be able to cope with these big changes in her life. There might be a need to let go of the past, overcoming the fear of the unknown and the fear of being lonely. There may be feelings of not being loved or cared for and the constant resistance between the need to change and fear of it can lead to anxiety and depression.

The women who are more yielding or submissive type, have difficulty in saying ‘NO’ are the YIN type of personality tending to hold on to the past and less focused on the present and might have different challenges to face than the YANG type of personality. The YANG-type women are very hyperactive, always busy with the external world avoiding the need to change.

The personality of a woman plays an important role in how she will react to the hormonal and psychological changes of midlife and menopause. Here are the five types of personalities according to the five elements and by categorizing them into five types, we can make it simpler for a patient to identify their type and make changes according to it. Here we go-

  1. The Fire element or Heart type- This type of personality will either rush into restless activities with non-stop and overstressed workload, or they might become depressed, melancholic, and lonely. They must center themselves in peace and harmony and reap the benefits of the fire element. Fire element can raise their consciousness to a new level, with a feeling of new zeal and enthusiasm, and awareness of life.

2. The Earth element or Spleen type- This type may either be insecure, worried, or feel void in herself and feel rejected when those who she cares for leave her abandoned. To reap the benefits and gift of the earth's element, she must learn to care for and nourish herself and find pleasure in caring for others without any expectations or dependence.

3. The Metal element or Lung type- This type tends to hold on to her previous image and identity, and tries to neglect and avoid the present and resist letting go of the past. The greatest gift of the metal element is to learn to forgive and let go. Clear wisdom and deep perspective are linked to this element free of any confusion and griefs of the past.

4. The Water element or Kidney type- This type has a great fear of the changes of menopause and may try to resist or avoid them. She might fear getting old or losing her attraction and feminity. There may be a fear of the unknown. If she can overcome her fears she will be benefited by the gifts of water element. There will be new sources of strength and self-image.

5. The Wood element or Liver type- This type of personality is very reactive and aggressive with too much irritation and anger. Anger or irritation may be expressed or suppressed, or with depression. These types of women need to learn to accept changes in menopause and get used to the changes in and around their lives. Intuition and free flow of energy are the greatest gifts of the wood element.

Menopause
Womens Health
Personality Types
Psychology
Emotions

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