You Are Not Crazy: Your Brain on Menopause

What if menopause was designed to have you know yourself better, shift your priories, and move into a more empowered version of yourself?

If you are on your menopause journey, there are a few things that you need to know. You are not losing it; you’re not going crazy. There are reasons for the brain fog, hot flashes, and moodiness that are based in your biology. This is not random.

And there are ways to navigate through. This stage is not a life sentence, and this does not preclude you expanding and deepening into your power.

But first, let’s understand what is really going on here, especially with the brain and menopause.

The brain and the ovaries are BOTH part of what’s called the NeuroEndocrine System. What does that mean? Basically, they are connected to each other, and the health and amount of energy of the ovaries influence brain energy/ health and visa versa. So, when estrogen levels go down in menopause, that means there’s less estrogen fueling the brain. It’s like parts of the brain are not getting enough food, and can't function as they did.

When hormones are aging, due to less estrogen, there is less brightness in certain area of the brain, (see image of PET Scan) as the neurotransmitters are not firing as well. You see more purple and less white.

According to Dr Lisa Mosconi, founder of the Women’s Brain Institute, and author of The Menopause Brain – women, during menopause are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety, (due to less estrogen coming into the brain) which is also one of the causes of Alzheimer’s.

It’s interesting to note that Alzheimer’s also starts in menopause.  The lack of estrogen is why 2/3 of people dealing with Alzheimer’s are women. But, this is not something to freak out about - it’s something to be AWARE of, so we can take steps to move through this much more easily and better informed.

Dr Mosconi's researsh shows that while so many feel “what’s happening to me” or "I’m losing it”, the good news is that cognitive performance does not change. In her groundbreaking TED talk, Dr Mosconi says, “Women may be tired but we are just as sharp.”

Good news, right?

So, how can we take action to protect our brains during menopause?

Nutrition: Eat phytoestrogens to boost estrogen (garlic, soy milk, berries, dried apricots, etc). This helps reduce symptoms like hot flashes, and depression. Antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids. I did a whole video/blog on this. Chinese herbs and certain ingredients from your health food store can also make a difference.

HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy: This involves boosting the body’s lagging estrogen (estrodial) reserves, and it’s often coupled with progesterone. This combination is known to help with hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog and difficulty sleeping. It can also help with libido, vaginal dryness, and osteoporosis. It may lower the risk of diabetes, and… if started early it may help reduce Alzheimer’s and dementia. But, HRT is not for everyone, and it’s important to check with your healthcare provider if it will work for you, and your situation. Which leads us to:

Find experts to talk with: Many doctors are not trained in this area, and can make us feel like we have no options. Not true. There’s The Menopause Society, where you can search by your zip code. for a certified menopause practitioner. That’s where you will get some answers and enter a community where people are understanding and refreshingly well-informed.  

Brain Fog: For brain fog, do mental exercises, Take part in new learning activities in areas you’re curious about. Above all, know that brain fog is a temporary state, rather than a life sentence – that can be a huge relief and very motivating to add some practices that empower you to support your own brain health.

There are also supplements that help with memory.

Types of Depression: Consider that depression is not only the biological type that comes with the lowered hormones, but it’s also situational.  You may be dealing with all sorts of changes:  in family dynamics, empty nesting, relationships change, career changes, or pressures at work, aging parents, aging ourselves. It’s a LOT!

Exercise is sometimes called nature’s anti-depressant (it brings more blood flow to the brain, and that reduces cognitive decline) – even walking regularly is a gamechanger.

Work on your mindset. There is a stigma about menopause and mental health, so we may automatically criticize ourselves. It’s built into our culture: "senior moments," making fun of people in snarky birthday cards that paint people as decrepit... You know the drill. The narrative is all about decline, and "what’s wrong with me?" It’ time to recognize that we need to challenge that thinking.

We have the tools to manage this transitional part of life. CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, gratitude, self-compassion and socializing with friends all help with mood and mindset. But above all, it’s time to change the narrative about menopause as an ailment or medical condition. Time to view it as a natural phase of life that offers many gifts if we are open to seeing them.

Hidden Gifts of Menopause

On a physical level, there are no more periods, and no need for birth control. That’s liberating, for sure. But it may be the psychological freedoms that matter most. Menopause is not an end, but a natural time of transition that can lead to real empowerment. What if we treated it as:

1. A chance to explore your personal priorities and identity
2. Get to know your true self and values
3. Instead of focusing on decline and loss, focus on expansiveness and growth
4. Stop caring what other people think (bye bye people pleasing)
5. Greater confidence and assertive communication
6. Explore if the roles you were playing are aligned with the future you are creating.
7. Knowing your experiences are valid, and you know what you know.
8. More insight into reading people and situations
9. A time of reinvention to explore new purpose and passions
10. Opportunity for self-discovery, renewal, realignment, & empowerment

Which aspects do you resonate with most? Are you open to looking at this phase of life in a whole new way?

So much of our experience of life is determined by how we look at it. You can shift your attitude and your happiness, starting NOW.