Posts Tagged "depression"

Sex on the beach

Posted by Liz on Nov 14, 2008 in sexual health | 1 comment

Okay. I’m not really going to write about having sex on a beach or that tropical drink. But now that I have your attention, I want to bring attention to a new study that I stumbled across recently.

This particular topic is of interest to me and clearly, I’ve written about sex and the transition numerous times. And since I’m in the middle of Dr. Christine Northrup’s ‘The Secret Pleasures of Menopause’ I do have sex on the brain at the moment. More on the book at a later date.

Although sexual concerns are reportedly very common among menopausal women, low sexual function can be attributed to many factors, including attitudes and beliefs about the transition, changes in body image, health, stress, fatigue, partner’s sexual function, and the role of intimacy in the relationship.  Importantly, up to 47% of women may experience depression during menopause and in fact, findings from the Massachusetts Women’s Health Study suggest that aging and menopause affect sexual function less than general and mental health.

In this particular study, published in the online edition of the journal Maturitas, Turkish researchers evaluated association between depression and change in sexual function in 300 women in menopause.

Among the participants, 65% had low sexual function. This included low desire (40%), low arousal (82.7%), low lubrication (63%), low orgasm (75%), low satisfaction (82.7%), and pain during sexual activity (54.3%).

Although only a third (29.3%) of women were identified as having depression, the researchers found a significant association between desire and depression scores throughout the menopausal transition.  As depression increased, so did sexual dysfunction.

These findings imply that sexual dysfunction during menoapuse may be as much a result of atttitude and emotional health as hormones if not more so.

Dr. Christine Northrup explores some interesting solution to these problems. Stay tuned!

Irritable Male Syndrome

Posted by Liz on Oct 16, 2008 in Uncategorized | 8 comments

[Marianna Schmidt, Angry Man, 1986]

We now interrupt our regularly scheduled program to….

Turns out that your angry male partner/friend/husband is not in male menopause afterall. At least according to psychotherapist Jed Diamond, whose book, ‘Male Menopause’ caused quite a stir when it was first published in 1998.

So, is your guy suffering from IMS?

IMS is a term used to describe a state in which men of any age become hypersensitive and angry, theoretically as a result of biochemical changes, hormone fluctuations (namely testosterone), stress, and sense of loss of male identity.  With regards to hormone fluctuations specifically, Dr. Diamond explains in an interview featured on WebMD, that:

• testosterone levels can increase and decrease as many as five times an hour
• testosterone levels are higher in the morning and lower at night
• men have monthly cycles that vary from man to man but are trackable using mood changes as a guide
• between the ages of 40 and 55, men go through male andropause syndrome, with declining androgen levels that affect sexual desire, function and overall quality of health. Notably, some research suggests that this is debatable).

IMS evidently rears its head as depression or worse, anger, hostility and violence directed towards another person.  And Dr. Diamond says that until men overcome their denial and attributing their feelings to outside causes, they can’t overcome the problem.

I did a quick search on PubMed to see if any of Dr. Diamond’s research has been published. I didn’t find anything. However, I did stumble across his website, where he encourages guys to take a quiz to determine if they’re suffering from IMS, and women, to sign up for an interactive program called “AliveGuide.”

IMS…is it real? Or simply another way to sell books? What’s more, what can your guy do about it? Dr. Diamond recommends recognition and communication, among other self-help steps.

What do you think?  Men – are you suffering from IMS or know someone who is? What steps are you taking to help yourself? Women – does your guy/friend/partner have IMS?

I’d love to hear more!

Wednesday Bubble: Blue

Posted by Liz on Oct 15, 2008 in emotions | 3 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LhwlsaA-Vc]

Mid-life depression is a real issue. But are your blue feelings due to depression or to menopause? That is, is depressed mood in middle aged women a result of aging and some of the emotional or pyschological factors that accompanies it, or due to hormonal changes during the transition?

Experts still are not certain of the association and to date, research has demonstrated contradictory results, with some studies showing a correlation between depression and menopause and others, none. Other studies suggest mood declines during early stages of menopause followed by improvements as vasomotor and other symptoms start to wane.

However, what the data do appear to show is that there are several time periods in a woman’s life in which she is more vulnerable to depressive symptoms, e.g., pre-menstruation, postpartum and of course, during the menopausal transition.  What’s more, data from the Melbourne Women’s Mid-Life suggest that a prior history of depression and having negative feelings about menopause can increase risk. Additionally, menopausal-onset depression and the start of vasomotor symptoms during the early stages of menopause appear to be linked.

Personally, I believe that drastic changes in one’s body, in moods and appearance, as well as some serious self-exploration and self-analysis, also play a role.

So, what can you do when you feel blue?

Transdermal estrogen delivered via a patch that is applied to the skin appears to even out estrogen fluctuations that may affect mood during the menopause. For women for whom estrogen is not an option and who are not interested in trying antidepressants, (whose effects, btw, may vary depending on age), St. John’s Wort (hypericum) extract may be a viable and effective option. A recent analysis of 29 studies enrolling almost 5,500 patients showed that St. John’s Wort extract:

• is superior to placebo tablets in patients with major depression
• is as effective as standard antidepressants
• has fewer side effects than standard antidepressants

So, how should you take St. John’s Wort? Well, like any herb, it’s best to consult with a practitioner well-versed in herbal therapy rather than reaching for a bottle in your local drugstore. Many therapists are also joining the band wagon and may be able to provide advice.

In earlier posts, I wrote how exercise can help to improve mood symptoms. And ironically, a glass of red wine daily also has been shown to improve mood and quality of life, although if you’re taking medications for depression, alcohol is counterintuitive.

So, tell me? Are you feeling blue on a more regular basis? What seems to help (or not help)?

Partly cloudy

Posted by Liz on May 25, 2008 in emotions | 0 comments

[Credit: ‘Depression.’ Bronze. 2000. Created by Susan Paloschi. http://www.susanpaloschi.com/]

[Special thanks to Susan Paloschi for permission to use this image. Please visit her website to see the rest of her works.]

Last week I posted information about a small study that shows that depression during the perimenopausal years can be alleviated by exercise. I believe that this topic is truly worthy of further exploration.

Seems that women entering the perimenopause have a two-fold higher risk of developing significant symptoms of depression than women who are not undergoing this transition. This is especially true of women already experiencing hot flashes. What’s more, this risk tends to occur in women who had never previously experienced any depressive symptoms. While fluctuating hormone levels may not be the only culprits, research suggests that they have a direct involvement.

So in addition to exercise, what can you do to counteract occasional or persistent feelings of depression? Firstly, take comfort in knowing that these feelings, like your declining hormones, are transient and may eventually dissipate. If symptoms are severe enough, a low-dose antidepressant can definitely help as well. In fact, I know quite a few women who have gone on antidepressants to help stabilize their moods during the perimenopausal period. A thorough evaluation by a gynecologist, followed by a session by a psychiatrist, can determine if a short-term of antidepressants may help.

If you prefer to go the herbal route, St. John’s wort might be of help.  St. John’s wort has been used for centuries for mood disorders, and while data suggest that it might not be effective for major depression,  there is solid evidence from clinical trials to support its use in milder cases. Be aware that you may not exeperience relief immediately since like many herbal therapies, it takes awhile to kick in. Again, it’s best to see a specialist in herbal medicine who can guide you with regards to dosage and regimen and also advise  on possible contraindications, if any.

I’m a true believer that the sun can shine through on partly cloudy days. When the blues hit, well, there is definitely some steps you can take. It’s all about finding an approach that works for you.

Got the blues?

Posted by Liz on May 15, 2008 in emotions | 5 comments

Everybody who knows me knows that I’m an exercise junkie. If I don’t have my daily dose, well, I go a bit batty and my mood starts that slow decline into a fetal ball of yuck. Well, good news. Study findings suggests that daily exercise not only helps alleviate the effect of general life-stressors, but it may actually do wonders for symptoms too. What’s more, that regular social interaction between sisters tends to improve overall quality of life.

So the next time the blues start grabbing hold, well, get your body moving…