The Emotional Impact of Menopause Has Been Ignored for Too Long

For many women, menopause is more than just hot flashes and irregular periods, it is a profound shift in identity, emotional resilience, and overall wellbeing. Yet, in a society that often dismisses women’s pain and emotional struggles, the psychological toll of menopause is rarely acknowledged.

Many women are left feeling like they should just "get on with it," as if talking about hormones and their impact on mental health is somehow making excuses. But the truth is, hormones shape our emotional landscape in ways we cannot and should not ignore.

Why the Emotional Side of Menopause is Overlooked

From a young age, women are taught to downplay the impact of their hormones. If we struggle with mood swings before our periods, we’re "too emotional." If pregnancy shifts our mental state, we’re "hormonal." And when menopause hits, bringing anxiety, depression, and brain fog, women are often met with silence or brushed off as simply aging.

The reality is, hormonal shifts aren’t just a small part of our experience, they shape how we feel, think, and relate to the world. When oestrogen and progesterone levels decline, it doesn’t just affect the body; it disrupts brain chemistry, emotional regulation, and self-perception.

What is the Emotional Toll of Menopause?

Many women describe menopause as a kind of unravelling; a loss of the person they once were and the mental health impact of this can be devastating. When women hit menopause, their periods stop and they can experience:

• Anxiety and Panic Attacks – A once confident woman can suddenly feel overcome by fear and unable to trust her own mind.

• Depression and Low Mood – The loss of oestrogen affects serotonin and dopamine which are the brain’s "feel-good" chemicals. This leaves many women feeling flat, hopeless, or disconnected from themselves.

• Brain Fog and Loss of Identity – Struggling to concentrate, forgetting words, or feeling like your mind just isn’t as sharp as it used to be can create a sense of grief for women as they experience mourning for the person they once were.

• Loss of Self-Esteem – Society tells women that menopause marks the beginning of invisibility. When combined with mood swings and energy depletion, many women feel they are disappearing from their own reality.

We Need to Talk About the Impact of Hormones on Mental Health

There is a deep, unspoken shame around acknowledging the role hormones play in mental health, as if it somehow makes our emotions less valid. But we do not question the impact of brain chemistry in other conditions so why should menopause be any different?

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be life-changing for many women, not just for hot flashes but for restoring emotional balance. Yet, too many women are denied access, dismissed by doctors, or left feeling like they are "overreacting" when they ask for help. In addition to HRT, testosterone is an essential hormone for cognitive function and energy and this is barely discussed in relation to women, despite growing evidence of its benefits for menopause.

The conversation on women’s mental health must include the role of hormones. Women deserve to feel well, to feel like themselves, and to have their experiences validated instead of dismissed.

You’re Not Making It Up, and You’re Not Alone

If you’re struggling with the emotional toll of menopause, please know:

• You are not "too sensitive" or "overreacting." Your feelings are real.

• Hormones play a huge role in your mental health—it’s not an excuse, it’s science.

• You don’t have to just "get on with it." There are treatments and support available.

Menopause is not just a medical event—it’s a deeply personal, psychological, and emotional transformation. It’s time we stop treating it as something women just have to endure in silence.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you felt dismissed when speaking about your menopause experience? Comment below, let’s open up this conversation together.