Mine are depression and anxiety. And they take turns depending on the time of my life (no Dirty Dancing here!). Depression governs the middle and the pms-ing parts of my cycle, and anxiety dominates the rest.

I have found quite efficient remedies for my anxiety – anything that relaxes me works. And in that category, I would put anything that makes me sweat:  sports, brisk, long walks, going up on mountains, rollerblading, riding the stationary bike for 45 minutes.

Depression does not work like that. Those fixed days a month, on a cyclical pattern, nothing is right, there is not much hope, almost nothing makes me smile (the repeated negation was intentional, and its role is similar with that of sound effects in movies). I am aware these are self-limited episodes, and at this point they are not life altering. Had they turned into something prolonged that would impact my life considerably, I would immediately seek help.  I am under the impression that the causes of my depressed mood are both internal and external. Leaving the hormones aside, it makes me sad to realize that I am growing a beard, that my body doesn’t function the way it used to, that my vagina is atrophying, and so on, and so on, and so on. And I want to make myself clear: it is not the wrinkles, nor the not so toned muscles, the less elastic skin, my white hair that I am addressing here. But the menopause induced problems only. In my mind this paragraph on depression is very coherent, but I have some doubts about how intelligible my writing is. (I am taking questions now!)

Ending in a grave tone: depression and anxiety can be very serious problems, and they can ruin lives – yours and those around you. I am sure we all know a few stories. So please, please, please ladies, talk about it with your friends, families, doctors. There are always solutions. And you and your loved ones deserve a peaceful, decent life.