Most women will feel 'blue' and 'down' during perimenopausal and menopausal changes. The degree of 'blue' can be quite different for us all. What's important to know is that nearly all of us will feel 'blue'. If however, these feelings are more than 'blue' and are long-lasting, it needs to be addressed.

There are risk factors to keep in mind. You are at in increased risk of depression if you've had depression in the past. Women who were treated for depression in their 20's and 30's will likely see their depression return. The good news is that there are good, natural therapies to help recalibrate the brains' neurotransmitters and diminish the effects of depression. Smoking is a factor that can worsen the symptoms of depression. It goes without saying....if you are a smoker...STOP!

The Journal of the American Medical Association, The British Medical Journal, and Lancet all have research that indicates that Omega 3 therapy is significantly more successful, with no bad side effects, to traditional anti-depressant therapy. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reported that 80% of menopausal women reported a positive change in their mood as a result of doses of bio-identical estrogen and progesterone. This therapy works even better when added with Omega 3 therapy. A psychologist trained in the treatment of menopausal depression can be an effective therapy. They can recommend helpful resources to help you overcome your depression.

It's also quite common to suffer with sleeplessness during these depressive times. We've all had the occasional sleepless night. If, however, it occurs 3 or more nights per week, for 4 or more weeks, this is considered 'chronic insomnia'. Most literature you will read will discuss night sweats and fluctuating hormones as the reason for sleeplessness. I've found a different reason that is almost never discussed by your primary care physician. That reason is adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion. Both are bad, but the good news is that it is easy to test for and straightforward to fix. Some cases, however, may be more difficult than others to fix.

Adrenaline is a neurohormone of the adrenal medulla and is the most potent stimulant of adrenergic receptors resulting in increased heart rate and cardiac contraction. Why is this important? While many are looking at the fluctuating 'female' hormones, some tend to forget that ALL our hormones are fluctuating. Sometimes our adrenal gland gets stuck in the 'on' mode and cannot stop spitting out adrenaline. This prevents our body from going into a deep sleep pattern.

If adrenal fatigue (or adrenal exhaustion) is not the cause, some simple remedies might include walking after dinner and not eating any more food after dinner; as warm a shower as you can handle 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime - adding lavender oil helps; good, old-fashioned chamomile tea; warm milk and finally, deep breathing.

A few tips for dealing with menopause symptoms:

1) Eat a well balanced diet (preferably organic)

2) Supplement with a high quality multi-vitamin

3) Utilize a quality herbal remedy

4) Practice slow, diaphragmatic breathing

5) Exercise regularly (cardio & core work – Zumba/Pilates)

6) Consider mediation or Yoga