Now we all know that menopause is a crucial transitioning
stage for women.
It can significantly impact moods and well-being.
According to a new research from University College London,
talking therapies could help women going through the menopause reduce
symptoms such as depression and anxiety.
This UCL research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders,
examined 30 studies involving 3500 women in 14 countries,
including the UK, the US and Australia.
Menopause marks the end of menstruation for women and it
involves a transition that can last for several years.
This is often accompanied by a host of symptoms due
to hormonal changes including hot flushes,
night sweats, memory problems and psychological difficulties including depression and
anxiety.
This highlights the importance of maintaining good physical and psychological
health during menopause.
Historically, there has been a lot of controversy about women
being told their symptoms or are not real,
or being told that symptoms are all in their head.
And so now with the right therapy,
women cannot just recognize the existence of these symptoms but
also treat them.
Researchers say that taking therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy
and mindfulness based intervention could help.
Cognitive behavioral behavioral therapy is most commonly used to treat
anxiety and depression,
but can be useful for other mental and physical health
problems.
While mindfulness interventions aim to foster greater attention
and awareness of the present moment experience.
Now simple exercise describing this would be closing your eyes
and observing the sensations of breathing through your nostrils.
The author of the study,
Professor Amy Specter, said that there is a clear link
between the physical and psychological symptoms of the menopause.
She further gave the example of hot flushes.
When people have hot flushes,
they tend to get very anxious about having them and
that anxiety can often Causeway people to have more hot
flushes.
In this case, therapies such as CBT could help women
counter the negative thoughts they may have over such symptoms.
Medicinal treatment for menopause usually entails entails hormone replacement therapy.
Here, the HRT provides the body with hormones that produces
less of estrogen,
progesterone or both, reducing the symptoms of menopause.
Researchers say talking therapies are not in any sense suggesting
this is an alternative to HRT.
Rather, such treatments should be taken as an additional extra
to medicines such as hormone replacement therapy.
For all the latest news,
download the V On app and subscribe to our YouTube
channel.