Perimenopause & Mental Health
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause. It is a period of changing reproductive hormone patterns as well as a stage of life that may involve important physical, psychological, and social changes.
For some women, this transition coincides with changes in emotional well-being or psychiatric symptoms. Women with a previous psychiatric history may also have questions about whether changes they are experiencing represent a recurrence or worsening of a previous condition, are related to the menopausal transition, or reflect a combination of factors.
For women with ADHD, symptoms may also change during periods of hormonal fluctuation, including the perimenopausal transition.
Looking at the Whole Picture
Psychiatric symptoms during midlife do not occur in isolation.
A psychiatric evaluation can consider a woman's current symptoms in the context of her previous psychiatric history, medical history, medications, reproductive stage, relationships, stresses, and other life circumstances.
Understanding this broader context is important. Changes in mood, anxiety, attention, or other symptoms may have more than one contributing factor, and it is important not to assume that a particular symptom has a single cause.
As a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, I approach these concerns from both psychological and medical perspectives.
When appropriate, and with a patient's written consent, I can collaborate with other physicians and mental health professionals involved in her care.
Continuing Education in Perimenopause
Women's mental health has been an area of specialization since my psychiatry training at UCSF.
As my clinical interest in the perimenopausal transition has developed, I have continued to deepen my knowledge through many hours of continuing medical education specifically focused on perimenopause.
Treatment
Treatment is individualized. Depending on a patient's needs, my treatment may include psychotherapy, medication management when indicated, or both.
I am currently accepting new patients in St. Louis.