Treatment of Emotional Aspects of the Menopause

Abstract

Since mild emotional symptoms happen in many women during the perimenopausal years, it is important to found whether the symptoms are of adequate harshness and period to constitute major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, or panic disorder. Worsening symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric anarchy may be misdiagnosed as bipolar mood disorder. Asking the patient to keep a daily diary recording her symptoms and their sternness may help with diagnostic clearing up, and might have a gentle therapeutic effect as the woman is competent to consider her symptoms more independently.