Although menopause is a natural process that every woman goes through, its symptoms can be distressing and disruptive. The stress of menopause can drive you to use alcohol and drugs.
Sadly, alcohol and hormonal balance are indeed related. Find out more about menopause and how to manage it in a safe and healthy way.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the period in a woman’s life in which she goes through bodily changes that might cause shifts in mental and physical health. This stage usually occurs between ages 45 and 55, 51 being the average. Menopause is officially diagnosed after you’ve gone one year (12 months) without a menstrual period. It’s notably marked by hot flashes and mood swings.
Perimenopause
Women can go through perimenopause in their 40s or even 30s. It usually happens a few years before menopause. Estrogen, which is the main hormone in women, rises and falls during this time.
A woman might have menstrual cycles during which her ovaries don’t release an egg. If during your menstrual cycle you’re bleeding heavily or for longer than seven days, you’ve most likely reached perimenopause.
Hormone levels such as progesterone and estrogen decline during both perimenopause and menopause. These are the two primary hormones associated with female development.
Symptoms of Menopause
These changes in hormones result in numerous symptoms, including:
- Night sweats and hot flashes
- Itchiness
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Weight issues
- Insomnia
- Forgetfulness
- Infrequent or irregular menstrual periods
- Decreased sex drive
- Vaginal dryness
Other major symptoms of menopause include:
Low Self-Esteem
It’s possible for a woman to feel less beautiful during perimenopause and menopause. As a result of the many changes in her body, she may have gained weight and lost hair.
Nostalgia
At this stage of her life, a woman may find herself reminiscing and yearning for her youth. These factors can lead to a sense of indifference and lethargy, potentially impacting one’s ability to focus. Regrettably, this can pose challenges for her in efficiently accomplishing daily responsibilities.
Depression
During perimenopause and menopause, women may experience an increased likelihood of developing depression. One possible reason for this could be that they are facing challenges related to fertility and the natural process of aging.
Mood Swings and Irritability
Fluctuating moods and irritability often accompany the natural hormonal changes that occur during perimenopause and menopause. These issues typically arise due to decreased estrogen levels in the body.
How Does Menopause Contribute to Addiction?
Women may experience significant distress and anxiety due to the changes brought on by perimenopause and menopause. As a result, they may want to drink or take drugs to feel better. These discomforts can potentially increase the vulnerability of women experiencing menopause to substance abuse. Self-medication frequently leads to addiction. In addition, for a woman who abused alcohol and drugs before she came into menopause, her usage might spike with these new mood swings and symptoms.
Estrogen is Linked to Substance Abuse
Studies show that estrogen is connected to worsening substance abuse. One found that higher estrogen levels in women can make them more vulnerable to the effects of drugs. According to research from Mount Sinai, estrogen intensifies the brain’s reward pathway, creating more feelings of happiness and pleasure. Therefore, when a woman takes drugs while in the high-estrogen stage of her menstrual cycle, she’ll feel better than she would during another stage.
How is Progesterone Linked?
Progesterone, the other main female hormone, regulates your menstrual cycle and also helps the body prepare for pregnancy. Studies have shown that it also lowers a woman’s urge to take drugs or drink. When progesterone levels fall, though, estrogen becomes the dominant female hormone, and this is linked to higher drug use. Part of menopause involves fluctuating hormonal levels. With the right treatment, you can manage these and live your life normally.
Drugs Most Commonly Abused by Women in Menopause
The physical and mental problems that come with menopause can sometimes make women use drugs more to deal with their symptoms. Prescription painkillers are the drugs that people abuse the most because they are easy to get and have strong effects on both physical and mental pain.
In addition, there is a higher likelihood of alcohol abuse among women experiencing menopause. They sometimes turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism for the emotional challenges they face, such as sadness and loneliness.
Recognizing the substances that are commonly abused can help you identify signs of addiction at an early stage and seek treatment to address these challenges while safeguarding your well-being.
Side Effects of Addiction
The effects of menopause can be hard enough for a woman. Couple menopause with addiction, and you have a vicious cycle on your hands. When you think about alcohol and hormonal imbalance, you’re seeing how much substances affect your body. It’s no secret that addiction can take serious physical tolls on your body. It can also alter the brain to make you more compulsive. As an older woman, you need to be careful about what you do since you could harm yourself.
Addiction also makes it hard to do well at home and at work. When you abuse substances, you’re at a high risk of contracting cardiovascular disease, hepatitis, cancer, stroke, and lung disease.
As a woman ages, she may not be able to deal with addiction the same way she did when she was younger. Our bodies become less able to fight off sickness and illness as we age. Also, older women may be less likely to get help for their problems. A woman may not always recognize that she has a problem until something big happens in her life, like losing her job.
Inability to Function Without Drugs
The more you use drugs, the more dependent you become on them to function. Women may grow more tolerant to the medications they take, requiring increasing amounts to have the same effect. Menopausal women may also experience insomnia, which may lead them to seek out sedatives or sleeping drugs.
Worsening Menopausal Symptoms
Although women may turn to substances to relieve their perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms, these can actually make symptoms worse. This can lead to serious issues, including dependency and tolerance. Using drugs can also make mental health symptoms worse.
How Can I Differentiate Between Normal Menopausal Symptoms and Those Exacerbated by Substance Abuse?
Since both menopausal symptoms and those caused by substance misuse involve major physical and emotional changes, it can be difficult to distinguish between the former and the latter. Hot flashes, nocturnal sweats, and mood swings are common menopausal symptoms that are usually associated with the natural decrease in reproductive hormones.
Nonetheless, it might be a sign that substance addiction is a factor if these symptoms are accompanied by heightened anxiety, profound depression, or a discernible loss of cognitive function. It’s critical to get professional help if you discover that you are becoming more dependent on alcohol, prescription drugs, or other substances to manage your symptoms, or if your substance use is negatively impacting your relationships and everyday life.
A medical professional can assist you in evaluating your drug usage and symptoms and can provide advice on suitable treatments that target menopause as well as any associated substance misuse problems.
Having a Past Addiction and Menopause
Women who are in recovery from a previous addiction and going through menopause should exercise caution. This is especially true for women with other existing mental health disorders like depression. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about one-third of people with a mental illness also have a substance use disorder.
A woman’s depression may worsen throughout menopause, leading her to seek solace in substances like alcohol or narcotics. It’s crucial to keep an eye on your habits during menopause, even though there is no clear correlation between the two and a deteriorating addiction.
How to Cope with Changes During Menopause
Although menopause can be frustrating, there are healthy ways for you to cope with it. You don’t have to turn to drugs and alcohol for comfort.
- Adjust your lifestyle: By eating healthy and exercising, you can reduce the effects of perimenopause and menopause.
- Build social networks: While you’re going through these phases of life, it will be good for you to stay close to friends and family. These relationships will nurture you with support and bring on more positive emotions. In time, you’ll be able to cope with the difficult symptoms of menopause.
- Steer clear of drugs and alcohol: Having an occasional drink is fine, but drinking to relieve insomnia, anxiety, or depression can make your menopausal symptoms worse. Only use prescriptions that are given to you by your doctor.
- Pursue creative hobbies: Creative activities can be healthy outlets for expressing your emotions. When you do things you love, your attention diverts from symptoms and perimenopause. It can also help you avoid negative thoughts and emotions.
- Talk to a therapist: No doubt this is a trying time for you. Talking with your therapist or mental health counselor can help you make sense of your feelings and your bodily changes at this time.
Surrounding yourself with a supportive network of loved ones and engaging in fulfilling activities can greatly alleviate the challenges of menopause.
How to Deal with Severe Menopause
A little more effort and focus may be necessary for some women to manage the symptoms of severe menopause. To simplify things, you have choices.
To restore estrogen’s role in the body, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) uses synthetic female hormones. While some studies have linked hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to an increased risk of breast cancer and other health problems in women, another study found no such link between extra hormones and cancer or mortality.
Still, the North American Menopause Society recommends that women approach hormonal supplements with caution while working with their doctors. If you’re dealing with an addiction to alcohol and hormonal imbalance, you should consider attending substance abuse treatment.
Treatment for Addiction During Menopause at New Directions
As a facility that is run by and for women, New Directions understands the struggles menopause can bring. We also know firsthand that addiction can destroy lives and keep you from your potential.
After our staff evaluates you and collects your medical history, they’ll determine your next steps. If you have a moderate to severe addiction, you’ll likely have to go through detox. During this process, medical professionals will wean you off your substance of choice. You might go through painful withdrawal symptoms, but our staff can relieve these when you’re under their supervision.
Once you complete detox, you’ll participate in a residential or outpatient treatment program. Therapy is a large component of these programs. Some examples of the therapy we offer include:
- Individual therapy: Here, you and your therapist will discover what led to your addiction and how you can healthily deal with your menopause.
- Group therapy: You can meet with other women going through menopause and addiction. Sharing your experiences with others will benefit you in recovery.
- Family therapy: You and your family members can determine the cause of your addiction and help you deal with your menopause.
Aftercare is critical after treatment. This will keep you accountable for your actions in recovery and help you stay sober.
Get Help Today
You don’t have to wait any longer to seek help for menopause and addiction. Contact New Directions today to learn more about our female-only programs. Fight back now.
