Perimenopause rage is a common symptom of perimenopause. Here’s more about what perimenopause rage is, why it happens, and how to help ease your anger.
You’re angry, irritable, and frustrated all the time. You feel overwhelmed with rage over little things, or with no warning at all.
If this sounds familiar, it could be due to perimenopause , the period of biological transition into menopause.
Rest assured that feeling rage and anger during perimenopause is completely normal and common. Plus, there’s a scientific and chemical explanation behind these emotions.
Read on to find out more about perimenopause rage symptoms, what causes perimenopause anger, and how to get relief.
What is perimenopause rage? For many people, perimenopause comes with emotional distress and significant mood swings .
Perimenopause rage is just one of the many common emotions you may experience during this time. In fact, experts suggest that up to 70% of people may have overwhelming feelings of irritability during perimenopause.
Common experiences of perimenopause rage include:
Sudden outbursts of anger : You’re mad, full stop! You may feel fine one moment, then be seized with anger, resentment, and rage the next, sometimes without any clear trigger.Irritability and frustration : Small annoyances may set your teeth on edge. You may often feel like you’re boiling with frustration just under the surface.Low patience : Things that wouldn’t have bothered you much before may wear your patience thin and trigger a big reaction.Tearfulness : High emotions coupled with confusion and frustration about sudden anger may make you feel tearful, and that may trigger more anger.Stress and anxiety : Angry mood swings may drive stress. Plus, dealing with potential conflict with friends and family can leave you feeling anxious and unhappy. Exhaustion : Constantly feeling on edge, overwhelmed, and emotional is draining, and can leave you mentally and physically exhausted.What causes perimenopause rage? A few different factors contribute to perimenopause rage, like hormones, other perimenopause symptoms, and your medical history.
Hormones Like so many other perimenopause symptoms, perimenopause rage is partly related to perimenopause hormone changes.
Levels of key hormones like estrogen and progesterone fluctuate wildly during perimenopause, declining significantly until they reach their lowest point with official menopause. These hormone changes impact everything in your body, including your brain and your mood.
Estrogen plays a crucial role in mood. It helps produce neurotransmitters involved in emotion regulation, like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. As estrogen decreases, the levels of these brain chemicals decrease too, which can lead to mood swings, anger, and irritability.
Progesterone is also related to perimenopause rage. Hormones work together in a complex balance, and disruptions can trigger symptoms. Unequal hormone fluctuations during perimenopause can result in an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone, and that can cause mood changes and rage.
Perimenopause symptoms Hormones are part of the story, but perimenopause rage has other causes, too.
Perimenopause triggers uncomfortable and distressing symptoms that can impact your mood and make you mad, like:
Plus, regardless of your symptoms, you may well feel frustrated and angry as you adjust to the physical, biological, and reproductive changes that your body is going through. Societal stigmas around aging don’t help, either.
Medical history Your medical history may also influence perimenopause rage.
Some research indicates that you may be more likely to experience perimenopause anger and other mood disturbances if you have a pre-perimenopause history of depression or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
How to treat perimenopause rage Feeling full of rage during perimenopause can be incredibly stressful, confusing, and overwhelming. It can also make it hard to interact with the people around you in healthy ways.
Luckily, there are ways to help you deal with anger. Here are six strategies for easing perimenopause rage.
Allow yourself to feel your emotions Suppressing emotions doesn’t make them go away. It does, however, make you more unhappy, and can increase the likelihood of experiencing overwhelming outbursts of rage and anger.
Instead of suppressing, let yourself feel your emotions and work through them as they come.
Seek therapy It’s normal to feel overwhelmed during perimenopause, but you don’t have to move through emotions alone.
A therapist can help you find strategies for dealing with perimenopause rage and mood swings, regaining balance, and feeling your best.
Forms of therapy that incorporate mindfulness strategies may be particularly effective for lowering stress and anger, including:
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) Get regular exercise Regular physical activity can help improve mood and ease perimenopause rage by:
Boosting endorphins, our bodies’ feel-good chemicals Reducing stress Directing your focus to your body instead of your frustrations Increasing energy levels Improving sleep Whatever physical activity you enjoy is good, as long as your body is moving and your heart rate is up! If you’re looking for ideas, try:
Walking Jogging Biking Swimming Yoga Fitness classes, like Zumba, Pilates, or spin classes Practice self-care Perimenopause is a major biological event, full of fluctuating hormones and frustrating physical and emotional symptoms.
As your body and brain go through these significant changes, it’s important to be kind and compassionate to yourself.
Make time and space for you as much as you’re able. Do activities that you enjoy doing, pamper yourself, relax when you can, spend time with friends—anything that allows you to center yourself and your needs, at least for a bit.
Strategies for feeling calm day to day may also help reduce overall stress and anger, including yoga, meditation, and journaling.
When you feel rage coming over you, outlets for channeling and releasing anger may be useful, like:
Physical exercise Deep breathing exercises Creative outlets, like painting, dancing, singing, or crafting Talking it out Improve your sleep When you get better sleep, you feel better emotionally and physically.
Try starting with your sleep environment. Your personal preferences determine how to make the coziest and most comfortable bedroom, but generally speaking, good sleep calls for :
Complete darkness : try blackout curtainsSilence : try earplugs or ambient noise machinesCool (not cold) temperatures : try air conditioning or fansTo boost your overall sleep hygiene:
Set a sleep schedule and stick to it Avoid drinking too much liquid before bed Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening Stop screen use an hour or earlier before bed Wind down with calming activities like reading, meditating, or listening to relaxing music Talk with your doctor about medication Various medications may offer relief from perimenopause symptoms, including perimenopause rage.
Perimenopause medical treatments include:
Your doctor can help you weigh your options and decide which medical treatment may be right for you.
Perimenopause rage: the bottom line If you’re mad or on edge all the time, it may be related to perimenopause rage.
Perimenopause rage can lead to sudden outbursts of anger, low patience, increased stress, and exhaustion. Perimenopause rage can stem from hormone changes, other perimenopause symptoms, and your medical history.
The good news is, help is available. Treatment options for perimenopause rage include therapy, physical activity, and certain medical treatments. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with perimenopause rage, talk to your doctor about how to get help.
