Alcoholism and the Menopause: What You Need to Know
Are you experiencing menopause symptoms and find you are reaching for a drink more often than usual? Many women face this struggle, particularly as life brings extra stressors. It’s common to use alcohol to relieve physical and psychological symptoms temporarily, but unfortunately, using alcohol to ease symptoms can make them worse.
This can lead to a vicious cycle; you drink more to ease the symptoms without realising you are consuming more alcohol. The more you use, the higher your tolerance becomes. Without realising it, you can quickly develop alcohol addiction.
Perimenopause vs Menopause
Perimenopause typically starts a few years before menopause, with hormonal changes causing a myriad of challenging symptoms. Menopause is diagnosed when menstruation has been absent for 12 consecutive months.
Symptoms of perimenopause include:
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Decreased sex drive
- Weight gain
- Hot flushes
- Anxiety
- Depression
If you are unsure if your symptoms are due to perimenopause, try this handy interactive perimenopause symptom check tool.
Perimenopause and Menopause Treatment Options
If you’re looking for treatment options, you probably considered hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, HRT isn’t for everyone. There are complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments that can help make the experience more bearable. You’ll want to speak with your GP to see what course of action is best.
Four drug-free treatments that have been shown to reduce symptoms of perimenopause and menopause are:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a talking therapy that teaches you to recognise the connections between your thoughts, behaviours, and feelings to improve your psychological well being. Before beginning CBT, you should seek treatment for alcohol or drug dependency concerns because heavy drinking or drug use can make comprehending and recalling information challenging.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative practice that comes from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The procedure includes inserting fine needles into particular places on the body to stimulate sensory nerves in the skin and muscles. Acupuncture health benefits can vary depending on the individual, and you may require multiple acupuncture treatments before you see noticeable effects.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to treat health conditions by creating a trance or dream-like state of deep relaxation. Despite what is commonly believed, you cannot be hypnotised into doing something involuntarily or be ordered into a hypnotic state. Instead, you let yourself become hypnotised.
It relies on a conscious choice to alter your consciousness, and you remain in control. There are various sorts of hypnotherapy, and you’ll typically chat with your therapist about their approaches.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for health benefits. Lemon, chamomile, lavender, cedarwood, and bergamot are a few essential oils commonly used in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy essential oils usually are inhaled using an essential oil diffuser.
Managing Alcohol and Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms
While physical and psychological symptoms can be hard to cope with, there are healthy ways to manage them. If you do drink, then it’s important to be aware of how much alcohol you are consuming. Keep all empty bottles and cans to make it easier to monitor your alcohol use.
Other simple steps you can take to cut down on your alcohol intake during this time include:
- Set a daily limit for yourself.
- Choose two days per week, when you will not drink alcohol. (Consider which days are less stressful or when you have a lot going on to distract you)
- Avoid binge drinking by always drinking a glass of water in-between alcoholic drinks.
If you’re concerned about your alcohol use or addiction, speak with your GP or go to the Frank website to find support in the UK. Don’t let perimenopause or menopause symptoms hold you back from living life as you want.
