Psychiatrist’s Guide to Mood During Perimenopause & Menopause - Part 1
The impact of hormonal fluctuations on women’s mental health throughout menopause
Psychiatrist’s Guide to Mood During Menopause (Part 1)
The impact of hormonal fluctuations on women’s mental health throughout menopause
“We think that different women’s brains have different sensitivities to changes in hormones,” says Dr. Elizabeth Cox. “It’s not so much about absolute levels of hormones that we think are the issue, but the actual fluctuations and changes,” she elaborates. In this episode, Dr. Cox, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discusses the impact of these hormonal fluctuations on women’s mental health throughout menstruation, postpartum, and menopause. Dr. Cox highlights the importance of identifying women at risk due to heightened sensitivity to these changes and advocates for preventive strategies such as lifestyle changes and therapy.
“Some amount of anxiety is good and creates resilience and it’s part of our life and being human.”
The episode covers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for alleviating menopausal symptoms, the role of antidepressants, and the importance of cautious medication use. Dr. Watson and Dr. Cox shed light on the vital need for personalized care and encourage women to take active steps in prioritizing their health during the menopausal transition.
Watch The Conversation!
Unlock the secrets of this insightful video with dynamic chapter markers, guiding you through every compelling moment of the discussion.
0:10 Meet Dr. Elizabeth Cox
1:00 Why Hormonal Change Effects Our Mood
1:30 Brain Sensitivities in Different Women Explained
3:57 Populations That Need Extra Mental Health Support
6:27 History of Depression or Postpartum Recommendations
7:03 Lifestyle Solutions
8:23 Reasons for Therapy
9:00 What is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
11:49 Anti-Depression Medicine vs. Holistic Approach
12:30 Medical Alternatives Beyond Medicine
14:10 Pharmaceuticals & Supplements
17:45 Fear Around Antidepressants
“We think that different women’s brains have different sensitivities to changes in hormones,” says Dr. Elizabeth Cox. “It’s not so much about absolute levels of hormones that we think are the issue, but the actual fluctuations and changes,” she elaborates. In this episode, Dr. Cox, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discusses the impact of these hormonal fluctuations on women’s mental health throughout menstruation, postpartum, and menopause. Dr. Cox highlights the importance of identifying women at risk due to heightened sensitivity to these changes and advocates for preventive strategies such as lifestyle changes and therapy.
“Some amount of anxiety is good and creates resilience and it’s part of our life and being human.”
The episode covers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for alleviating menopausal symptoms, the role of antidepressants, and the importance of cautious medication use. Dr. Watson and Dr. Cox shed light on the vital need for personalized care and encourage women to take active steps in prioritizing their health during the menopausal transition.
Quotes:
- “We think that different women’s brains have different sensitivities to changes in hormones. It’s not so much about absolute levels of hormones that we think are the issue, but the actual fluctuations and changes.” (02:18 | Dr. Elizabeth Cox)
- “I recommend therapy to everyone. I think it can be so nice to be able to process relationships and stressors, changes when you’re nearing that phase of life—like you’re entering a new chapter and there’s a lot to process there too. So adding in some therapy can be another wellness initiative to do.” (09:05 | Dr. Elizabeth Cox)
- “Some amount of anxiety is good and creates resilience and it’s part of our life and being human. I still want you to be able to feel sad sometimes if something really sad happens or to feel excited. If you feel apathetic and like a zombie and numb, you’re on the wrong medicine or you’re on too high of a dose. But you should still feel like you, but just not as stressed and your bandwidth should feel better.” (18:58 | Dr. Elizabeth Cox)
Resources:
Meet the Guest Speaker!
Dr. Elizabeth Cox, MD is an expert in reproductive psychiatry and women’s mental health treatment, and is well-versed in treating women’s mood and anxiety disorders, as well as other psychiatric disorders, during times of hormonal fluctuation and change (pregnancy, postpartum, menstruation, menopause and infertility). She was previously the Medical Director for UNC Women’s Mood Disorders at Wake Med North and Residency Education Director for Women’s Mood Disorders at UNC.
Dr. Cox has studied alternative treatments for depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). She believes in a holistic approach to treatment that includes nutrition, exercise, sleep, therapeutic interventions and pharmaceutical intervention when indicated.
I believe in treating the full person through a comprehensive patient-centered care model.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Meet the host!
Dr. Elizabeth Cox, MD is an expert in reproductive psychiatry and women’s mental health treatment, and is well-versed in treating women’s mood and anxiety disorders, as well as other psychiatric disorders, during times of hormonal fluctuation and change (pregnancy, postpartum, menstruation, menopause and infertility). She was previously the Medical Director for UNC Women’s Mood Disorders at Wake Med North and Residency Education Director for Women’s Mood Disorders at UNC.
Dr. Cox has studied alternative treatments for depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). She believes in a holistic approach to treatment that includes nutrition, exercise, sleep, therapeutic interventions and pharmaceutical intervention when indicated.
Dr. Cox grew up in Charleston, SC but now calls Raleigh, NC home where she resides with her three small children, spouse and their two dogs.
I believe in treating the full person through a comprehensive patient-centered care model.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
