Yes, menopause can cause anxiety
Feeling more anxious, on edge or overwhelmed during perimenopause and menopause is common and real — not something you're imagining. Fluctuating and falling oestrogen affects brain chemicals that regulate mood, including serotonin. Poor sleep, hot flushes and the life changes that often coincide with this age all add to it.
For some women, anxiety or low mood is one of the first signs of perimenopause, appearing even before periods change much.
How long it lasts
For many women, mood symptoms are most pronounced during perimenopause — the transition when hormones swing the most — and settle as hormone levels stabilise after menopause. That said, the timeline varies a lot between individuals, and anxiety shouldn't just be waited out if it's affecting your life.
If you've never been an anxious person and it's arrived with other menopausal symptoms, the hormonal link is worth considering.
What helps
Several things help: regular exercise, good sleep habits, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and stress-management approaches like mindfulness. Psychological therapy (such as CBT) is effective. For some women, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT/HRT) improves mood as well as physical symptoms, and antidepressants can help where appropriate — these are decisions to make with your GP.
You don't have to push through this alone. A telehealth consult is a good place to talk through what's happening and what might help.
Related condition
Menopause & perimenopause →References & sources
- 1.Menopause — Jean Hailes for Women's Health
- 2.Menopause — Better Health Channel
- 3.Hormone replacement therapy — healthdirect
- 4.Post-menopause — healthdirect
- 5.Menopause health info — Australasian Menopause Society
This content is general information and not a substitute for individual medical advice. Please consult a GP for your personal situation.
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