If one bad day is turning into two, three, four, and then a period of several weeks, you might want to seek support from a doctor, especially if your mood is affecting your daily life, says Burroughs.
“Ask yourself if your feelings are directly impacting your ability to function or the dynamics of a family relationship,” says Burroughs. “If your day-to-day routine, whether it’s at work or home, is being impacted, that’s a reason to see a physician.”
Start with your primary care doctor or even your ob-gyn. You may also benefit from seeing an endocrinologist or a psychologist or psychiatrist.
“Mental health providers can give you tools to manage some of the mood shifts, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or mindfulness-based tools,” says Hantsoo. For some, antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), or hormone-based treatments can be helpful in mitigating menopausal mood symptoms.
Other treatments include complementary therapies, such as yoga or acupuncture, which have been shown to help people manage hot flashes, says Dr. Wald. “There are other interventions that aren’t just medicine,” she says.
Sometimes, treating the mood changes during perimenopause can also take some trial and error. “For many patients, if they do meet certain criteria for treatment, we don’t know what they’ll respond to best until we try it,” says Burroughs. “But it’s important that once they start treatment, they receive follow-up care to make sure the treatment is effective.”
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