Menopause and anger and rage
Anger and rage are common problems during menopause. Even if you have always been a cool customer, hormonal changes can wreak havoc on your moods.
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ANGER AND RAGE DEFINITION
Does menopause make you angry? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. If you are going through menopause, you may have noticed your temper is quicker. Perhaps you’ve noticed you’re more prone to angry outbursts or maybe you’re suddenly struggling with a simmering irritability?
Start your free online menopause assessment to see if HRT is right for you
HOW LIKELY IS ANGER AND RAGE DURING MENOPAUSE?
It can be tricky to find accurate statistics about anger because of the different forms it might take. Up to 70% of women report feeling irritable during menopause.
Mood changes including anger and rage can affect you throughout your menopause journey, from the earliest signs of perimenopause right through to postmenopause.
Learn more about your menopause journey in your essential guide to the stages of menopause.
SIGNS OF ANGER AND RAGE
Angry outbursts or uncontrollable rage
Being irritable, snappy or tense
Feeling annoyed by everything
Mood swings
TIPS TO HELP WITH ANGER AND RAGE DURING MENOPAUSE
Speak to your doctor
If your anger is persistent or causing problems, check in with your doctor to help understand the cause.
Think about HRT
HRT can be a useful treatment if you are struggling with anger, rage or any other mood changes related to menopause.
Consider other medications
If you’re unable to take HRT, or if a mental health concern could be contributing to your symptoms, it’s still worth asking your doctor about medication. Some antidepressants can be used to treat both mental health issues and menopause symptoms.
Try talking therapies
Cognitive behavioural therapy and similar approaches are often recommended to help support you in managing anger. Speak to your doctor if you want to know more about therapy available in your area.
Lifestyle changes
Try creating healthier habits to help manage your anger, irritability and mood swings. This could include increasing your physical exercise. Or you could incorporate some mind-body activities into your routine, such as yoga, meditation and tai chi. It’s also worth looking at your caffeine, alcohol and nicotine intake and seeing if you can cut down.
CAN HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT) HELP?
HRT can help with mood changes during menopause, including anger, irritability and rage. HRT also treats other symptoms of menopause including hot flushes, night sweats and sleep problems among others. Multiple studies have shown that oestrogen, the main ingredient of HRT, acts on some of the areas of the brain responsible for controlling your mood, as well as reducing your risk of so-called mood disorders.
To treat mood changes, you need to use systemic HRT. This means taking your HRT as either a pill, patch, gel or spray so that the hormones can spread throughout your body, including to your brain, to work effectively.
While HRT is suitable for most women, there are exceptions.
Read more about the risks and benefits of HRT.
ANGER, RAGE AND MENOPAUSE FAQs
Menopause happens when your menstrual cycle gradually slows down and stops. This is caused by dramatic hormonal shifts including a decrease in the amount and type of oestrogen you produce. For most this is a natural process which happens between your mid-40s and mid-50s. Menopause can also happen early or be caused by medical procedures including operations and chemotherapy.
These hormonal changes are responsible for many different symptoms, including hot flushes, night sweats and sleep problems.
They’re also thought to be responsible for mood changes including anger. We know that a number of different parts of the brain are affected by oestrogen. These include the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus, all of which are involved in controlling your moods.
When oestrogen levels drop at menopause, these areas work less effectively. This is thought to be the cause of a number of mood changes seen during menopause, including an increased risk of depression, anxiety and mood swings as well as anger and rage.
Anger is a complex emotion, and problematic levels of anger rarely have just one cause. It can present itself in lots of different ways and at lots of different times. Keep a log of your feelings and see what patterns you notice.
If anger or rage is becoming troublesome, speak to your doctor. They will be able to rule out any other underlying causes for your anger and suggest appropriate treatment options.
Depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety can sometimes go hand-in-hand with anger and rage. This is especially relevant because these conditions become more common during menopause.
Other signs of depression include feeling low or sad, having low energy and not enjoying things like you used to. Anxiety disorders can take many forms including excessive worrying, tearfulness, panic attacks and intrusive thoughts.
Read more about panic attacks with Erin’s story.
Anxiety and depression are common and treatable. If you think that this could be contributing to your menopausal anger, speak to your doctor. They can advise you on the best way forward. Always seek urgent help if you notice any thoughts about wanting to hurt yourself or others.
Other menopause symptoms
It’s common to struggle with a number of different symptoms at menopause with sleepless nights, aches and pains, urinary tract infections and heavy periods to name just a few.
It’s unsurprising that your mental health can be impacted by all of these physical problems. Who wouldn’t feel snappy after months of broken sleep, unpredictable hot flushes and feeling generally rubbish?
If this is the case, it might be worth thinking about treatments for your menopause symptoms. HRT is an effective treatment for menopause symptoms.
Life and stress
Life can be stressful at the best of times. Menopause hits just at the time when pressures are at a peak for many. For those who go through menopause in midlife, it’s common to be juggling caring responsibilities for children and elderly relatives, often alongside a busy job.
Take a look at the demands on your time and energy. Is there anything that you could ask for help with? Changes to your working patterns? A shift in responsibilities at home?
Anger isn’t just an inconvenience. It can cause real problems in your work and home life, and disrupt relationships. If you’re struggling with anger, please see your doctor for advice.
You should see an urgent medical review if you notice sudden and dramatic changes to your mood or personality. This is especially true if you also have:
- New or worsening headaches
- Changes to your senses – including hearing, taste, vision or touch
- New problems with your balance, movement, speech or swallowing
- Hallucinations – seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren’t really there
- New and unusual thoughts or ideas that others struggle to understand
- Thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. Health professionals are there to help if you’re feeling this way. We’d recommend discussing your low mood with a health professional as soon as possible, if you haven’t already. This is particularly important if you have any feelings of harming yourself or others.
Getting help
- Contact your doctor or NHS 111
- Samaritans Helpline, available 24/7 – call 116123
- Mind
- Emergency help: If you feel that you can’t keep yourself or others safe, call 999 or go to A&E as a place of safety and for emergency help.
- Born, L., Koren, G., Lin, E., & Steiner, M. 2008. A new, female-specific irritability rating scale. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience : JPN, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 344–354.
- Wharton, W., Gleason, C. E., Olson, S. R., Carlsson, C. M., & Asthana, S. 2012. Neurobiological Underpinnings of the Estrogen – Mood Relationship. Current psychiatry reviews, vol. 8, no 3, pp. 247–256.
