Welcome to Running: A FEVER. My name is Michael Davis, and this is a show about fitness, diet, and medicine. My goal is to live a long, healthy, happy, active life right up to the very end. Part of that journey involves navigating the challenges of the middle part of life, which is what we’ve been discussing in this series. In the last episode, we provided an introduction and attempted to demystify menopause by defining and describing it. We heard some truly inspiring stories about people going through the change and how it impacted their lives.
In this episode, we’ll again hear from some real people. And we’re going into the emotional and mental aspects. How does menopause, and specifically the reduction in estrogen, affect one’s mental health and emotional well-being? We’ll go into some science, we’ll talk about how it feels and why, and we’ll offer some coping strategies that may help you or your loved one get through the change in one piece. Finally, I have a striking story that illustrates just how profound the mental effects can be on a person. But first, let’s hear some relations of real experience with this.
“I loved life, I had an excellent memory…then the menopause came along…When I was talking to someone, it came out all jumbled.”
–Jan Woodward
“I spend a lot of time thinking about how much I hate my body and my mind. I’m not at the acceptance level with it. I find it really painful. I also have a lot of depression and was suicidal for a while, and now I’m experiencing a great deal of anxiety, and I find it hard to leave the house.” –anonymous
Believe it or not, there is no shortage of stories like this. Later, I’ll tell a startling story about how hormonal changes can be a life-or-death experience. But now let’s dig into the science involved. Let’s discuss some aspects of brain chemistry.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. Think of it as the “calm-down” chemical—it helps regulate nerve activity and keeps the brain from becoming overstimulated. It functions by slowing down neural firing, promoting relaxation, reducing anxiety, and aiding sleep. Basically, if your brain were a car, GABA would be the brakes, keeping things from spinning out of control. Estrogen helps modulate GABA activity. When estrogen drops, GABA’s calming effect can weaken, leading to heightened anxiety, irritability, and sleep disturbances.
Serotonin is another key neurotransmitter, often referred to as the “feel-good” chemical. It regulates mood, appetite, sleep, and emotional balance. Estrogen boosts serotonin production and receptor sensitivity. So when estrogen declines, serotonin levels may drop, and mood swings, depression, and emotional volatility can increase.
What about brain fog and memory lapses? Estrogen also affects acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and learning. Lower estrogen can lead to difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and slower cognitive processing.
To summarize the chemistry involved, during menopause, the brain’s chemical orchestra becomes slightly out of tune. Estrogen, once a conductor of calm and clarity, begins to fade, and that affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA. Without enough GABA, the brain loses some of its brakes, leading to anxiety and irritability. And with lower serotonin levels, emotional resilience can take a hit. It’s not just mood — it’s memory, focus, and even identity that feel shaken.
Be aware that if you are experiencing these symptoms, it’s not your fault. Chemical warfare is being waged in your brain, causing it to rebel against you.
By the way, if you’d like to learn more about brain chemicals in general, I produced a six-episode series on the topic back in 2019. I’ll have links in the blog post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/427.
The Brain Chemistry Series:
Episode 139 Introduction Blog: https://runningafever.com/139
Episode 139 Introduction YouTube: https://youtu.be/clfj9dBJvxo?feature=shared
Episode 150 Endorphins Blog: https://runningafever.com/150
Episode 150 Endorphins YouTube: https://youtu.be/43rvhnhuvIY?feature=shared
Episode 151 Dopamine Blog: https://runningafever.com/151
Episode 151 Dopamine YouTube: https://youtu.be/Wpf7XJ3-jI0?feature=shared
Episode 152 Seratonin Blog: https://runningafever.com/152
Episode 152 Seratonin YouTube: https://youtu.be/iy4xdiQXSVk?feature=shared
Episode 153 Oxytocin Blog: https://runningafever.com/153
Episode 153 Oxytocin YouTube: https://youtu.be/a-sAapsjHbI?feature=shared
Episode 154 Cortisol Blog: https://runningafever.com/154
Episode 154 Cortisol YouTube: https://youtu.be/xAqFm9EHKxA?feature=shared
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Okay, chemistry lesson over. Let’s talk about the emotional and cognitive shifts that occur. These aren’t just side effects of menopause. They’re often central to the lived experience, and they deserve to be unpacked here.
First, anxiety. Why does it happen? As estrogen levels decline, so does its regulatory effect on neurotransmitters such as GABA and serotonin. This can heighten the brain’s stress response. How does it feel? You’ll have racing thoughts, restlessness, panic attacks, or a constant sense of unease–even in situations that previously felt manageable. What’s the real-world impact? Women may feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks or experience social withdrawal due to heightened sensitivity.
Next, depression. It’s biochemical roots that lower serotonin and dopamine levels can lead to mood dips, loss of motivation, and emotional numbness. You’ll hear a testimonial that really brings this to life later on. Also, progesterone drops can exacerbate depressive symptoms due to their calming effects. There is also an identity factor. Many women report a sense of loss–not just hormonally, but existentially. Roles shift, bodies change, and the future feels uncertain.
Irritability is also a familiar feeling. With lower levels of GABA and serotonin, emotional regulation becomes more challenging. Minor frustrations can feel explosive. Poor sleep (often due to night sweats or insomnia) amplifies irritability, creating a feedback loop. This irritability can also cause a social strain and can affect relationships, especially if family members don’t understand the underlying cause.
Memory lapses and brain fog can occur when you forget words mid-sentence, lose track of what you’re doing, and feel mentally fuzzy or slow. Memory lapses can be frightening, especially for women who take pride in their sharp thinking. It can feel like losing part of oneself.
Imagine waking up and feeling like your brain is wrapped in gauze. You forget names, lose your train of thought, and snap at someone you love, then wonder why. It’s not just mood swings. It’s a rewiring of the emotional and cognitive landscape, driven by shifting hormones and neurotransmitters. Anxiety, depression, irritability, and memory lapses aren’t signs of weakness; they’re signs of transition.
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We know about the problems now. You’ve probably had enough of all that. Maybe you don’t even care what causes these things; you want to know what you can do about them. Here are some suggestions I’ve found:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This is the kind of thing a psychologist would lay out for you. It’s a tool used to address a wide range of psychological issues. CBT is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps reframe negative thought patterns. It works because it teaches practical tools to manage anxiety, depression, and irritability by challenging distorted thinking and building healthier responses. CBT helps women reclaim the narrative in their minds, turning spirals of self-doubt into grounded, actionable thoughts. I have some experience with this, and to grossly simplify it (which is how I think about it), it’s questioning my initial thoughts. If I think I’m stupid because someone else seems really smart, I remind myself that I can sometimes be oversensitive to comparisons of intelligence. Suppose I know that about myself, I can question my assumption and look for examples that challenge it, such as when I just got promoted at work. I have a degree in philosophy, etc.
Another tool for dealing with these emotional and mental issues is “Mindfulness & Meditation.” This is the practice of staying present and observing thoughts without judgment. It works because mindfulness helps reduce cortisol, the primary stress hormone. It also improves emotional regulation and strengthens focus, counteracting brain fog and mood swings. You could call mindfulness and meditation a mental decluttering, a way to clear space in the mind when everything feels noisy or overwhelming. Your personal faith tradition may already include some meditation practices, and you should take advantage of them.
Journaling. Writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences regularly. It can be hard to make a habit of this. It can seem like homework. But it works. Journaling helps process emotions, track patterns, and externalize inner chaos. It’s beneficial for identity shifts and emotional clarity. You could call it a conversation with yourself — a private space to be honest, messy, and reflective.
Creative outlets can also help. You can engage in art, music, photography, design, whatever sparks your interest. Creative activities stimulate the release of dopamine and provide emotional release. They also help rebuild a sense of self when identity feels in flux. I know that my creative activities, such as writing, recording music, and producing my audio and video shows, are very therapeutic, and that’s really why I continue to do them, although I also want to help people.
And now we come to my favorite. Exercise. This could be running, walking, weightlifting, playing a sport, or even dancing. Anything that gets you active physically. Exercise boosts endorphins, regulates sleep patterns, and enhances cognitive function. It’s one of the most effective natural mood stabilizers.
Menopause isn’t just something to endure; it’s something to navigate and manage. These strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all, but they offer a toolkit for reclaiming emotional balance, mental clarity, and personal identity. Whether it’s through therapy, movement, or creativity, the path forward is about finding what resonates with you and permitting yourself to change.
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Before we close, I’m going to share a story. I’m going to extensively quote an interview because it is so shocking and impactful—just a warning. If you’re sensitive to depictions of violence, you may want to stop here. But the story needs to be heard. This is Lynsey Gilmartin, appearing on an Australian talk show called “This Morning.” This is in Lynsey’s own words.
“I started off with anxiety. I’m not an anxious person. But this anxiety was about the simplest things. Just daily chores. Would I get a parking place in the store…just really low-level things. But I recognized something had changed within me, so I got in touch with my G.P. practice…It appeared as anxiety disorder…I was forty-five. Yeah. And I was placed on antidepressants, but that’s what I expected. I was thinking it’s anxiety disorder, therefore that was what I’d be given. But it rapidly spiraled. The anxiety got worse. I was getting heart palpitations. And within about six weeks, it was like a light had been switched off in me. There was no joy. And you could have lined up my children with a thousand other children, and I felt absolutely nothing.
“In a matter of weeks, I went from working, functioning, to really this joy had left. And shortly after, this horrible feeling of lack of emotion. The intrusive thoughts came…constant thoughts of suicide and just not wanting to be here.”
[Lynsey was “sectioned,” which in Australia is when you get admitted to a mental health facility against your will. This is possible under each Australian state’s Mental Health Act. In the United States, we would say “committed” instead of “sectioned,” but in the U.S., this is still a valid legal process as well.] Continuing…
“At this point, I certainly made it known that that was what was going to happen, but it was later down the line that I actually [attempted suicide]…I was in an inpatient facility for I think six weeks. They tried different antidepressants, different combinations, and I was also given ECT, which is Electric Convulsive Therapy…it is used in extreme cases…These intrusive thoughts, they were just twenty-four/seven…It’s so hard to explain the mental torture.
“It was never ‘this could be hormones, so maybe there’s a different route…’ I came out on weekend leave and saw my children for the first time in six weeks, and it was like being a stranger in my own home. Then I tried to kill myself. And thankfully, it didn’t go to plan. I did sustain some serious injuries. I fractured my spine and my pelvis in a few places, and caused some real damage to my left foot. And I was then in a trauma orthopedic ward. So I was out of the inpatient facility and they were treating my physical symptoms, whereas my mental symptoms were, in fact they were even worse. I was still trapped in a physical situation as well as a mental.
“The HRT [Hormone Replacement Therapy], it was literally within 28 days. It was like waking up from a nightmare. And I was me again. It was horrifying to relive what had happened, but then again, I was just so grateful that I was back.
“I feel great now. It was really like an awful period in my life…I had no idea I was perimenopausal. That wasn’t on my radar. It can’t just be me.
An expert in the same interview said that doctors are not taught about the mental effects of menopause, even in psychiatric training.
Wow. So if you thought this thing wasn’t serious, I hope you’re thinking differently now. Menopause is literally a life-threatening condition. And even doctors don’t talk about it. They don’t get training on it. This is why I’m doing this. Things need to change, people.
We’re not done yet. Next time, we’ll talk about andropause, which happens in men as testosterone decreases with age. Until then, if you’ve got the fever, keep it burning. If you don’t, catch the fever. And I will see you next time on Running: A FEVER.
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctwFqZXtfmk
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E2emjxkzINA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeA_V_RRXeI
https://tinyurl.com/raf-sectioned