As you age, the body changes. Perimenopause is a complex time in a woman’s life. Not only is the body aging, but you may experience intense anger, commonly called perimenopause rage, sadness, and irritability.
According to doctor Keith Alderson, an endocrinologist at HFS Clinic, there is an inventory of 34 symptoms of menopause. You may be feeling hormonal or physical shifts, or you may experience changes in your mental health. Understanding perimenopause is one of the best ways to cope with the mood changes, signs of aging, and hormonal shifts happening in the body.
Causes of Perimenopausal Rage
Perimenopause rage is hard because you could be calm one moment and then feel intense hostility for no apparent reason. These emotions could last just a moment, or you could experience them for a week or month. Your estrogen levels are changing as you age. When your serotonin and progesterone levels shift, you can feel depressed, angry, and irritable.
The physical side effects of menopause can also cause rage. You may not be able to sleep, which makes you chronically tired. A lot of women experience hot flashes and changes to their sex drive, which leads to anxiety and anger. Some women lose or gain weight and other women have a hard time focusing at work. The physical shifts directly correlate to your emotional well-being.
Middle age is challenging because you are in a transitional place in your life. If you have kids, they may be leaving to start their lives, and if you are at work, you have to think about retirement. Menopause also ends your fertility, and you may be experiencing changes in your marriage. All of the life and physical changes take their toll and can bubble over into rage.
Thankfully, there are ways to cope so you do not walk around filled with anger.
Take Control of Your Diet and Exercise
Carefully monitoring your diet and leading an active lifestyle can curb perimenopause rage. Take some time to up your Omega-3 fat intake with fish and nuts so you can stabilize your emotions. It is wise to cut back on depressants like alcohol, and you should think about ways to lower your sugar intake.
Exercising just 30 minutes every day will boost your serotonin and other hormones to lift your mood. Taking control of your nutrition and physical activity will have a quick impact on how much anger you feel.
Channel Emotions
Think about taking up new hobbies so you can stay busy and find peace when you experience rage. A lot of women cope with their emotions by journaling, gardening, starting a home project, or scrapbooking, among other hobbies.
Middle age is hard because there are so many endings. If you commit to new beginnings, you will find meaning amidst all of the challenging feelings.
Try Meditating
Meditation is another useful strategy when you feel intense rage, take a moment to meditate. Find a private area and focus on your breathing, surroundings, and immediate presence. Deep breathing exercises and 15 minutes alone can reduce a lot of the anxiety and stress you are feeling.
Meditation will adjust your body’s hormones and give you balance when you feel out of control. You can try meditating once a day before the emotions hit, or you can use this tool once you feel the anger.
Consider Finding a Therapist
Loved ones may not know how to support you as you grapple with complex emotions, transitions, and physical changes. There are mental health professionals who specialize in helping women better understand menopause.
Therapists will have tools and techniques for you to try, and this gives you a neutral person to talk to when your emotions are overwhelming. You may even end up trying medications to help with some of the symptoms.
The first step in coping with perimenopausal rage is to understand this is normal. Your body is changing, and your hormones are shifting. By using all of your tools, you can figure out how to adapt and lessen the severity of these symptoms.
Middle age is a rich opportunity to try new things, improve your diet and exercise, and work on your mental health. Over time, you will know what to do when you experience intense anger and irritability