Kaveri Hospital

The period around the age of 45 to 50 is very delicate for most women as many changes occur within the body. The changes occur due to menopause or a cessation of the menstrual cycle for a period of at least 12 months or so. Along with a host of physical changes, post-menopausal women tend to suffer from mental problems as well. Some of the factors could be physical changes such as a decline or stop in hormone productions while some of them are psychological effects as well. Some of the common mental problems faced by women are mentioned below:

1. Depression: This is by far the most common mental disorder and affects women while they are going through the process of menopause. After a few years, post-menopausal women tend to recover from this or the symptoms at least taper off. It is estimated that almost 20% of women undergoing menopause suffer from this problem, although the risk of depression is much higher if you have prior history of it.

2. Sleep Disorders: This can be described as not only a mental disorder that affects women but also a symptom of menopause. Sleep disorders can range anywhere between disturbed sleep, insomnia or sleep apnea (breathing difficulty while sleeping), especially in older women. Women undergoing menopause may suffer from this due to hormonal changes which result in hot flashes. These can wake you up in the middle of the night almost daily.

3. Schizophrenia: This is a serious mental disorder and is mostly noticed in women who have a prior history of the disorder. This condition is characterized by delusions and a detachment from reality which often pushes the person to act on their inappropriate imaginations. Schizophrenia usually manifests itself in young adulthood and peaks again at the age of around 45 to 50. If you had episodes of schizophrenia in your early adulthood, then it may resurface during menopause, although most women do see a subsiding of symptoms some time after menopause has occurred.

4. Panic Disorder: Women tend to experience this problem, during or even after menopause, as a new disorder that suddenly develops. This can be quite disruptive in your life. Also, if you have a history of this disorder, menopause may trigger it to show up again.

5. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: This disorder is another mental health issue that can cause you to be overly obsessive, more so among menopausal women. If you already have had OCD in the past, menopause can trigger a relapse or a bad episode.

6. Bipolar Disorder: In this case as well, menopausal women have a higher tendency for a relapse or the start of a bad episode if they already had even mild signs of it.

Vitamins are extremely important for proper functioning of various body systems. Vitamin D3 plays a very crucial role in the proper functioning of bones and joints.  Deficiency of this vitamin is quite common, but can be identified and managed easily.  Read on to know more about its functions, causes of deficiency, symptoms, and management.

Function: Vitamin D3 is essential for the absorption of calcium from the food that is consumed. A decrease in the amount of vitamin D3 leads to poor calcium absorption, resulting in thin, soft, brittle bones.

Causes: Some of the possible causes of vitamin D3 deficiency (and ways to manage them) are listed below:

1. Reduced intake: People with a strict vegan diet may be consuming reduced amounts of this important chemical.  Most natural food sources are animal based including fish, fish oils, fortified milk, egg yolks and beef liver.

2. Limited sun exposure: People who spend a lot of time indoors are likely to have this deficiency.  People who wear sunscreen constantly, wear long robes for religious reasons, live in the polar areas, upper/lower hemispheres are all prone to vitamin D3 deficiency.

3. Darker complexion: The body’s ability to make vitamin D3 when exposed to the sun is reduced if there is more melanin in the skin.

4. Obesity:  Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells and people with BMI of more than 30 have a vitamin deficiency.

Symptoms:  While some people may go completely asymptomatic with this condition, others could develop significant symptoms.

1. Bone pain and aches: When there is less calcium getting incorporated into the bones, pains and aches leading to fatigue are common.

2. Depression: The areas of the brain that regulate mood contain vitamin D receptors, and low levels of this vitamin can lead to depression.  They are also at higher risk of developing cognitive conditions like schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.

3. Gut problems: Vitamin D is fat soluble and in people with stomach conditions like Crohn’s or IBD, the gut functioning is altered and so vitamin D absorption is reduced.

4. Increased risk of heart disease:  Both the risk of developing heart disease and the severity of the disease went up considerably when there is vitamin D deficiency. This is given their role in controlling inflammation and improving immune function.

5. Lesser chances of surviving cancer:  In patients with colorectal cancer, lymphoma, and breast cancer, increasing vitamin D levels improved cancer prognosis by 4%.  The chances of developing prostate cancer are also increased in patients with vitamin D3 deficiency.

Management: Providing the required amounts of vitamin D3 through diet and supplements is the best way to manage this.  Check with your doctor to know the optimal levels and plan for replacement accordingly.

Happily ever after is much more a choice these days than the fairy tales. It’s hard to find out someone who will love you for no reason, and if they have the reason, then you are immensely blessed. In an extraordinary relationship, it is just that ‘extra’ effort that situation demands gradually. The lack of it and the whirlwind courtship is over.

Keeping a realistic view about what may come in the future will help you with a healthy approach to every single thing and even your relationships. So even if visiting a relationship counselor can do the work for you, it should be considered as an option, culminating all odds.

The counselors interact with you in different sessions and bring out the actual reason behind your problems. Just don’t shy away and speak your heart out to get the most benefits out of these sessions.

1. A realistic view: They bring you to the real world and tell you where the relationship is standing actually. They listen to all your problems, and you have someone to talk to without the fear of being judged.
2. The working area: If you’re honest enough in your approach, they will tell you where to put in your effort to make your relationship work.
3. Some private time: Spending some time together, trying to enact on the points you have been advised by the counselor, will form the bond again.
4. Much needed space: Everybody needs some separate moments, and you are no exception. Think what you exactly want from this relationship and give some lonely time to your partner as well to work on it.
5. Q&A sessions: The counselors tend to understand your real feelings by making you talk. Think of all those beautiful moments; you’ll have your answers there.
6. Differences: Don’t expect your partner to change overnight and help him in fighting with his own flaws. Be on his side, even when you are in the counselor’s chamber to show your support towards the relationship. Listen to what the counselor has to say.
7. Respect: Whatever you give will come back to you, and your relationship is not an exception. Your spouse is also a human and is expected to make mistakes. You learn how to deal with this part in your sessions.
8. Honesty: The backbone of a relationship, honesty in future endeavors is the key to a harmony filled relationship. Work on it if it lacks because the counselors cannot help you without it.
9. Communicate gently: Don’t interrupt; instead listen to what your partner has to say.
10. Keep your cool: Control your anger while talking. It can be disruptive and destructive at the same time. You’ll not be able to even listen to what the counselor has to say.

Take a deep breath, approach a counselor, recreate the magic and make your relationship work. It is as special as it was in the beginning.