Feeling tired and emotional? Find out how hormones impact on your mood and energy levels.

You may have thought that feelings of anxiety, irritability, depression and mood swings disappeared with adolescence but they can return with a vengeance during the menopause. This is because centres in the brain that control your sense of wellbeing and a positive state of mind are all affected by the absence of oestrogen, making the menopause an emotional affair For some women these emotional and psychological symptoms can cause bigger problems than physical changes, such as hot flushes.

Someone who is used to juggling family and work commitments may suddenly find themselves experiencing severe feelings of anxiety and forgetfulness and be unable to tackle everyday tasks with their usual confidence. And just because your periods are about to stop doesn’t mean you can wave good by to PMT like symptoms;  many women become very emotional, crying for no particular reason and feeling unusually weepy during the menopause.

If you suffered from PMT before the menopause, you will also be more likely to experience heightened symptoms fatigue, anxiety, irritability, tearfulness, breast soreness, water retention, skin problems and insomnia.

Apart from feeling tearful and anxious, chronic depression, although rare, can also descend upon you during the menopausal years. Depression is more common in women than men and, if left untreated, can last weeks, months or even years. Those who suffer from stress or have experienced a past stressful event, a surgically induced menopause, concerns about life changes, severe night flushes and night sweats or have a family history of depressive illness are more likely to become depressed during the menopause.

It is vital to seek professional help if you have experienced a combination of the following depressing symptoms: unusual sleeping patterns, loss of energy, debilitating fatigue and feeling lethargic; loss of libido and feelings of worthlessness; difficultly in concentrating and making decisions, extreme eating patterns and thoughts of death or suicide.