Perimenopause: a high risk moment

At the National Menopause Summit in Ireland last March, I learned that some of the most extreme mental health issues associated with menopause can arise during perimenopause.

In this People article by Stephanie Emma Pfeffer, Former 'Biggest Loser' Trainer Erica Lugo, 36, Says Doctor Dismissed Perimenopause Symptoms: 'I Felt So Sad and Broken,' Erica Lugo tells the story of how her doctor dismissed her mental health issues as potentially being related to perimenopause because at 36, she was “too young.” She went through misdiagnosis and pharmalogical treatments that made her symptoms worse before finally receiving hormone replacement therapy and finding some balance.

A someone who provided mental health treatment for many years, it chills me to think how many women I saw whose symptoms may have been related to perimenopause or menopause, and I didn’t know it. The subject never came up in my education or ongoing training, nor was it raised by these patients’ doctors or in interdisciplinary team meetings or case discussions. One hope I have is to raise awareness among healthcare providers so others don’t have to go through what Ms. Lugo did.