Sep 4, 2020Many women describe changes to their memory, concentration and decision-making abilities during menopause (brain fog). Decision making
In perimenopause and the early stages of menopause, women describe changes in their ability to think clearly, make decisions and function well mentally. Some describe this as “brain fog”. They may experience difficulty assimilating and making use of new information.
Breast Cancer and HRT – A Couple of Important Points
The additional risk of breast cancer from HRT, only applies to ‘combined HRT,’ that is women who take both hormones – oestrogen and progesterone.
If you have had a hysterectomy and hence, can take oestrogen-only HRT, this does not increase your risk of breast cancer.
It may actually reduce it.
The increased risk of breast cancer in women who use HR.
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Can menopause cause depression?
Your body goes through a lot of changes during menopause.
There are extreme shifts in your hormone levels, you may not sleep well because of hot flashes and you may experience mood swings.
Anxiety and fear could also be at play during this time.
If you experience any of the symptoms of depression, talk to your healthcare provider.
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Decision-Making About Health Care Choices
There are various psychological models about the best decision-making processes, but all of them suggest a step-wise approach.
For example:
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Does menopausal transition cause cognitive decline in middle-aged women?
Depression and other affective symptoms, such as:
- anxiety
- sleep disturbances
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- may exacerbate cognitive decline due to the menopausal transition
- causing MCI in middle-aged women
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Don’T Confuse HRT with The Pill
Don’t confuse HRT with the combined contraceptive pill.
They are totally different products and the rules for prescribing each are very different.
HRT is just that – ‘hormone replacement’ – providing a low dose, natural (not synthetic) oestrogen, to replace the oestrogen your ovaries are no longer making.
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Emotional Intelligence
We all have differing degrees of emotional intelligence(EQ) – this is a separate entity to our general level of intelligence (IQ).
This can affect the whole process of making a decision.
Emotional intelligence is described as the ability to recognise your own emotions, and understand the emotions of others, in order to adjust your behaviour accordi.
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Factors Affecting Decision-Making and Taking HRT
The outcome of the decision will be affected by ‘unconscious bias.’ Examples and how these might affect the decision to take HRT, include:.
1) Repetition bias – The tendency to believe what you are told the most often.
In recent years there have been a lot of damaging, and frankly fake news reports, about the dangers of HRT.
The belief that HRT is d.
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HRT Is A safe, Effective Treatment For Menopause
Here’s the good news! – HRT is indeed a safe and effective treatment. Menopause experts and statisticians have now carefully reanalysed these studies, reviewed the up-to-date medical evidence and come to this robust and reassuring conclusion.
These experts include the British Menopause Society, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists .
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The Menopause Struggle
If you are living through your own menopause experience right now, you may feel you are between a rock and a hard place.
Many women and those with wombs have such a terrible experience at menopause, they feel like their whole lives are falling apart.
Lack of sleep, hot flashes, mental fatigue, mood swings/irritability, vaginal dryness, low libido a.
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The Psychology of Decision-Making
Small decisions are easy to make.
We make lots of these every day.
However, more important decisions, which have bigger consequences, are a lot harder.
For example, if you are thinking of buying a house, and/or taking out a mortgage, you probably visited lots of properties, considered the pros and cons, imagined the ‘what-if’s’’ and then took finan.
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Understanding Risk
One important point about decision-making, is to understand the concept of risk.
Specifically, the difference between relative and absolute risk.
The media twist statistics to create shocking headlines and sell news.
Understanding risk is very difficult, and we may not really get to grips with what we are being told.
Perhaps we lack confidence, fee.
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What happens after menopause?
Postmenopause:
- This is the name given to the time after you haven’t had a period for an entire year (or the rest of your life after menopause)
During this stage,
menopausal symptoms, such as:hot flashes, may get better.
However, some people continue to experience menopausal symptoms for a decade or longer after the menopause transition.
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What is induced menopause?
This is known as induced or artificial menopause.
The symptoms of induced menopause are usually similar to those of natural menopause.
The start of the menopausal transition can be so subtle that some women don't notice any changes at all.
