Women Focus

Puberty

Female puberty is marked by the initiation of menses (menarche) and its accompanying monthly fluctuations in ovarian steroid hormones.

It is at puberty that sex differences in anxiety begin to emerge, with a higher rate among girls as they enter adolescence independent of age.

Ovarian steroids (e.g., estradiol, progesterone) and their metabolites are neuroactive, affecting neurotransmission at several receptors in the central nervous system. Hormonal fluctuations initiating with puberty may play a role in the etiology of anxiety disorders.

Puberty may also be a time of increased psychosocial stress, which may contribute to occurrence of anxiety symptoms

The Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle includes two stages: the follicular and luteal phases.

ovarian hormone levels are quite variable within as well as between phases.

At onset of menstruation, typically considered day 1 of the cycle, ovarian hormones estradiol and progesterone are both low.

However, under conditions of rising follicle stimulating hormone secreted from the pituitary, ovarian estradiol levels increase and peak at ovulation, approximately day 14

With ovulation, progesterone levels begin to rise, increasing more than 20-fold over the course of the luteal phase.

Estradiol levels decline immediately after ovulation but then rise again in concert with midluteal phase progesterone.

Finally, during the late luteal phase, progesterone and estradiol levels precipitously drop if pregnancy has not occurred, followed by menses and the next cycle.

80% of reproductive-age women experience at least one physical, mood, or anxiety symptom in the luteal phase.

20% experience significant premenstrual symptoms

5%−8%, experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a mood disorder that often has a strong anxiety symptom component

common biopsychosocial pathways between anxiety disorders and PMDD

Increased anxiety sensitivity and perceived control over anxiety-related events are potential contributors

Women with anxiety disorders may also experience premenstrual exacerbation of symptoms,

Pregnancy and Postpartum

During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels increase exponentially, then drop rapidly within hours of delivery.

Stress or depression during pregnancy can have profound effects on both the woman and fetus, with implications for development through childhood and into adulthood

Menopausal Transition

• As menopause approaches, ovarian hormones fluctuate erratically, and periods become irregular.
• Division of the menopause transition into five stages (ENN-5 staging system )
• premenopausal (regular menstrual cycles of 21–35 days),
• late premenopausal (one observed change in cycle length of at least seven days),
• early transition (at least two cycles with cycle length changes of at least seven days),
• late transition (greater than or equal to three months of amenorrhea),
• postmenopausal (greater than or equal to 12 months of amenorrhea)
• The menopausal transition may be a time of increased stress because women experience a life transition accompanied by physical symptoms, such as hot flashes and insomnia.

• Tension-type headaches are known as primary headaches, which means they're not caused by an underlying condition
• Most people are likely to have had a tension-type headache at some point.
• They can develop at any age, but are more common in teenagers and adults.
• Women tend to have them more often than men.
• chronic tension-type headaches: headaches more than 15 times a month for at least 3 months in a row
• Around half of adults experience tension headaches at least every month, and about 1 in 30 adults experience chronic tension headaches

Symptoms of tension-type headaches

Aside from head pain, a tension headache can cause:

• Irritability
• Trouble sleeping
• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Shoulder or upper back stiffness

What causes tension-type headaches?

The exact cause of tension-type headaches is not clear, but certain things have been known to trigger them like:

• Stress and anxiety
• Squinting
• Poor posture
• Tiredness
• Dehydration
• Missing meals
• Lack of physical activity
• Bright sunlight
• Noise
• Certain smells

With tension headaches, you are normally well between headaches, and have no other ongoing symptoms.

Usually, your description of your headaches can help your doctor distinguish between tension headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, and headaches that are caused by serious neurological issues.

You may need to have some diagnostic tests as part of the evaluation for your headaches.

Strategies that helps in Tension Headache:

• Getting some sleep
• Taking a break from what you are doing
• Making your environment more comfortable by adjusting the temperature
• Moderate intensity exercise
• Drinking fluids
• A caffeinated beverage
• A cold pack on your head or shoulders
• Doing something enjoyable
• you might have improvement of your tension headaches with some of these strategies, but not others. It is important to do what works for you when it comes to managing your tension headaches.

Unhealthy relationships is one of the most common underlying contributing factor for mental health disorders.

A relational disorder as “persistent and painful patterns of feelings, behavior, and perceptions involving two or more partners in an important personal relationship.” It is very important to stress that, in a relational disorder, the relationship itself is the problem and not the people involved.

It is possible for two psychologically-healthy individuals to have an unhealthy relationship just as it is possible for two psychologically-unhealthy people to have a healthy, constructive relationship.

Symptoms of a Relational Disorder:

Symptoms of a relational disorder vary depending on the type of relationship in question. However, symptoms can include:

Before diagnosis, its essential for a therapist to examine various dynamics of the relationship to see whether it is actually “sick.” Or unhealthy.

Somatic symptom disorder is characterized by an extreme focus on physical symptoms — such as pain or shortness of breath, or more general symptoms, such as fatigue or weakness usually that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning and are Unrelated to any medical cause or condition. but your reaction to the symptoms is not normal.

Often one might think the worst about their symptoms and frequently seek medical care, continuing to search for an explanation even when other serious conditions have been excluded.

Signs to look for somatic symptom disorder:

Specific sensations, such as pain or shortness of breath, or more general symptoms, such as fatigue or weakness Unrelated to any medical cause that can be identified, but more significant than what’s usually expected

A single symptom, multiple symptoms or varying in degree from Mild, moderate or severe excessive thoughts, feelings or behaviours related to those symptoms, which cause significant problems, make it difficult to function and sometimes can be disabling.

Excessive thoughts, feelings and behaviours can include:

• Having a high level of worry about potential illness
• Considering normal physical sensations as a sign of severe physical illness
• Fearing the medical seriousness of symptoms, even when there is no evidence to support that concern
• Appraising physical sensations as threatening, harmful or causing problems
• Feeling that medical evaluation and treatment have not been adequate
• Fearing that physical activity may cause damage to your body
• Repeatedly checking your body for abnormalities
• Frequent health care visits that don’t relieve your concerns or that make them worse
• Being unresponsive to medical treatment or unusually sensitive to medication side effects
• Having a more severe impairment than would usually be expected related to a medical condition
• For somatic symptom disorder, more important than the specific physical symptoms you experience is the way you interpret and react to the symptoms and how they impact your daily life.

What causes Somatic symptom disorder?

The exact cause of somatic symptom disorder isn’t clear, but any of these factors may play a role:

• Genetic and biological factors: increased sensitivity to pain
• Familial factors: genetic or environmental, or both
• Personality factors: trait of negativity, which can impact how you identify and perceive illness and bodily symptoms
• Psychological factors: Decreased awareness of or problems processing emotions, causing physical symptoms to become the focus rather than the emotional issues
• Learned behavior — for example, the attention or other benefits gained from having an illness; or “pain behaviors” in response to symptoms, such as excessive avoidance of activity, which can increase your level of disability

What predisposes to somatic symptom disorder?

Somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder are different

Illness anxiety disorder involves a person preoccupied with having an illness or getting an illness – constantly worrying about their health. They may frequently check themselves for signs of illness, focus on health behaviors and take extreme precautions to avoid health risks. This condition was previously referred to as “hypochondriasis.” Unlike somatic symptom disorder, a person with illness anxiety disorder generally doesn’t experience symptoms.

Somatic symptom disorder complications :

• Poor health
• Problems functioning in daily life, including physical disability
• Problems with relationships
• Problems at work or unemployment
• Other mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression and personality disorders
• Increased suicide risk related to depression
• Financial problems due to excessive health care visits

People with somatic symptom disorder typically go to a primary care provider rather than psychiatrist or other mental health professional. They often refuse to believe their symptoms are the result of mental or emotional causes rather than physical causes. They undergo multiple physical assessments and examinations and the reports are in normal limits.

Have you ever experienced such symptoms that have disturbed your routine life and relationships? early treatment can help ease symptoms, help you cope and improve your quality of life.

Depression in women

Women play multiple roles of being a Mother, wife, employee, friend, healer, caregiver, and the list goes on. The complexity of all of these roles can cause ups and downs throughout life.

Women play multiple roles of being a Mother, wife, employee, friend, healer, caregiver, and the list goes on. The complexity of all of these roles can cause ups and downs throughout life.

Depression in women is very common

According to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Around 9.5% of women in India are suffering from depression, women are twice as likely to develop clinical depression as men.

Up to 1 in 4 women are likely to have an episode of major depression at some point in life

What Are the Symptoms of Depression in Women?

What Raises the Chances of Depression in Women?

Hormonal factors:

• Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone affect serotonin, a feel-goodWhen hormone levels drop, serotonin levels drop, sometimes bringing on a maddening shift in mood. brain chemical.

Psychological factors:

• Women exhibit emotion foucused coping style.
• They tend to ruminate more about negative thoughts
• Negative body images usually begin in adolescence and seem to be correlated with the onset of puberty in women.

Social factors:

• Marital problems
• Relational; problems
• Financial iisues
• Work life balance issues
• Loss of a social support system or the threat of such a loss
• loss of a job,
• separation, or divorce
• Physical or sexual abuse as a child
• Family history of mood disorders
• History of mood disorders in early reproductive years

How Does Depression in Women Differ From Depression in Men?

• Depression in women may happen earlier, last longer, be more likely to come back, be more likely to be tied to stressful life events, and be more sensitive to seasonal changes.
• Women are more likely to have guilty feelings and attempt suicide, although they actually take their own lives less often than men.
• Depression in women is more likely to be linked to anxiety disorders, especially panic and phobic symptoms, and eating disorders.
• Some women continue to live with a troubled state of mind for the most part of their lives to avoid social stigma.
• If you are a woman and suffering from depression, it is best to seek treatment right away to improve your quality of life. Your perpetual feeling of sadness can be very traumatizing and can hamper your daily lives

Infertility is often a silent struggle . Inability to reproduce can cause feelings of guilt , shame , fear, low self esteem , hopelessness, worthlessness 😞

What happens is , majority of infertile women do not disclose their feelings with anyone again out of shame and fear hence are more vulnerable to Distress , Anxiety and Depressive Disorders

Today , 1 in 8 couples face trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy

There can be multiple factors including depleting ovarian reserve tubal, ovulatory dysfunction, endometrial !!!

Studies says that stress too affects fertility , commonly known as UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY !

Signs to look for infertility stress

Tips For Managing Infertility Stress

It is really hard to be positive and not get worried when u have negative pregnancy test results every month.

Research says that women who worry a lot are up to 20% less likely to conceive or sustain a pregnancy!!

My 7 tips for reducing stress when attempting to conceive:

• Accept that u have no control over the past or future. Don’t blame yourself or the spouse!
• Communicate with ur partner: at the same time don’t expect your partner to feel the way u do so be ready for different reaction.
• Control ur thoughts: Do positive self-talk - be calm and optimistic. Ur brain will signal ur body that extra adrenaline is not needed and soon u will feel calm!
• Exercise & Relaxation techniques: yoga , meditation and breathing techniques can help relieve tension. Moderate exercise helps burn off frustration and release endorphins which are a great stress buster .
• Don’t give up your life : don’t leave ur job to reduce stress levels rather do whatever u r doing . Familiar routines are generally stress reducing . Take break if needed : take time outs watching ur favourite movie , playing puzzles etc
• Watch ur diet : being stressed out make u eat more sugary and processed foods which affects ovulation. A diet full of whole grains , omega 3 fatty acids , soy are more likely to conceive! Keep a check on weight !
• Find support for urself : be ur best friend and tell ur family about what u going through , ask for the help u need !

What do u ask when u meet a pregnant woman?

Ohh! Great! Which month? How many weeks? Do u have morning sickness? Do u have back pain? You getting kicks? And a lot more!

But how often do u ask :

Ohh ! Great ! How are you adjusting emotionally ? What are your hopes, dear, concerns when your body is undergoing a major transformation ?

People have a tendency to focus more on women’s physical health during pregnancy rather than mental health.

Even pregnant woman herself finds it hard to differentiate between some symptoms of pregnancy and depression as they are very similar.

7% of pregnant women experience depression during pregnancy and it not only affects their lives but also the baby.

Prenatal depression often goes unnoticed

• The symptoms of depression are similar to those occurring in pregnancy
• Changes in sleep
• Changes in energy level
• Changes ion appetite
• Changes in libido

Signs to look for Prenatal Depression

• Anxious thoughts and excessive worry about your baby
• Feeling hopeless and overwhelmed
• Lack of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Feeling guilt about how you are feeling, or guilt in general
• Feeling less interested in eating, or overeating eating
• Having trouble concentrating
• Having trouble sleeping
• Racing thoughts
• Anger
• Reluctance to follow prenatal health guidelines
• Not believing others when they try to reassure you
• Pushing others away, wanting to disconnect from loved ones
• Participating in unsafe prenatal activities, such as smoking, drinking, drug use
• Experiencing thoughts of suicide

Mild Prenatal Depression :

May not directly affect the baby but it may have unfavourable consequences on your pregnancy that might affect the health and development of the baby inside ur womb.

Moderate - Severe Prenatal Depression:

• baby can be at the risk of sleep issues in the first 2 years and behavioral disturbances.

Risk factors of Depression during pregnancy :

• Anxiety
• Life stressors
• H/0 deprtession
• Poor social support
• Unintended pregnancy
• Domestic violence

Women with Prenatal Depression are more likely to experience Post Partum Depression once their babies are born.

So pls don’t consider these symptoms lightly and get urself treated before it’s too late.

After child birth in a family , everyone is on cloud 9 and why not,they should be ! Everyone is busy giving attention to the new born and to the bunch of guests who are so so desperate to see the new baby.

Amidst all these, many a times the new mother who has just delivered goes unnoticed.

The new mother goes through hell lot of emotional , physical , social changes right after the birth of a child .

From the abrupt decrease in the hormones estrogen and progesterone levels in the body to stitches pain , sleepless nights , demands of the newborn , feeding the baby , demands of the family and drastic change in the post pregnancy body - all of these leaves a mother think that she is not good enough and she might not be able to take care of the baby and herself.

50-85% of new mothers suffer from these POST PARTUM BLUES.

Signs to look for Post partum Blues

• Weepiness or crying for no apparent reason
• Impatience
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Insomnia (even when the baby is sleeping)
• Sadness
• Mood changes
• Poor concentration

Many of them get over these but in some cases the symptoms gets worse and are long lasting and that results into POST PARTUM DEPRESSION!!!

Post Partum Depression is a complex mix of -physical, emotional & behavioral changes that occur after giving birth that are attributed to the chemical, social and psychological changes associated with having a baby.

It affects 1 in 10 new mothers.

If you have had it in earlier pregnancy, ur risk of having in second pregnancy increases by 30%.

Symptoms range from mild- severe and appears within days of delivery or gradually even up to a year later.

Signs to look for Post-Partum Depression

Emotional Symptoms:

• Excessive and uncontrollable crying
• Persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness
• Feeling numb or empty
• Extremes in mood swings
• Irritability and restlessness
• Feeling anger and rage
• Becoming easily frustrated
• Anxiety and fear
• Feeling guilt and shame

Mental Symptoms:

• Inability to concentrate
• Trouble remembering details
• Difficulty making decisions
• Doubting her ability to care for her baby
• Thinking things are too overwhelming to handle
• Thinking she has failed or is inadequate

Physical Symptoms:

• Changes in appetite such as eating too much or too little
• Trouble sleeping
• Oversleeping
• Fatigue and loss of energy
• Muscle aches and pains
• Headaches
• Stomach pains

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Acting distant with her partner
• Withdrawing from friends and social activities
• Inability to form a bond with the new baby
• Unwilling to care for the baby out of fear of harming him or her
• Not being able to enjoy time with friends and family
• Not wanting to be alone with the baby
• Exhibiting angry behavior toward others
• Extreme Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
• postpartum anxiety,
• postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
• postpartum panic disorder,
• postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• postpartum psychosis

Here are some tips that might help you :

Be realistic about ur expectations for urself and the baby.

• 🏻Limit visitors when you first visit the home after delivery.
• 🏻Ask for help when needed. Don’t feel shy.
• 🏻Sleep or rest whenever possible.
• 🏻Do moderate exercise - take a break , go out for a walk.
• 🏻Follow a sensible diet. - avoid caffeine and processed foods.
• 🏻Donot isolate urself. - keep in touch with ur friends and family.
• 🏻Make time for ur spouse.
• 🏻Expect some good days and bad days too

But,

• 🏻If symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks
• 🏻If u are unable to function normally, cannot cope up with everyday situations.
• 🏻If u have thoughts of harming oneself/baby.
• 🏻If you have feelings of anxiety, panic, most of the day.

You definitely need professional help. Don’t wait for symptoms to get worse because your post partum depression affects your lactation and overall health of the baby.

To all the caregivers and family members, Please give more attention to the new mother along with the baby in the first few weeks post partum because these days are really hard to cope up with !!

Perimenopause is the transition that females go through prior to menopause.

Perimenopausal women were four times as likely to develop depressive symptoms as women who hadn’t gone through perimenopause.

How does hormones affect your mood?

• Hormones and mood
• Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are neurochemicals that work in the brain and play a direct role in your mood.
• When estrogen hormone levels fluctuate, the serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain are affected.
• Hormone imbalances — such as your estrogen rising while your progesterone is falling — can inhibit the ability of serotonin and norepinephrine to act as effective neurotransmitters.
• The result is mood swings that could lead to depression.

Signs to look for peri menopausal depression

• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Slowed cognitive function
• Inattentiveness
• A lack of interest in once-enjoyable activities
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or helplessness
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Crying for no reason or tearfulness
• Heightened anxiety
• Profound despair
• Sleep problems related to hot flashes or night sweats

Risk factors for perimenopausal depression

• A prior history of sexual abuse or violence
• Negative feelings about aging and menopause
• Severe menopausal symptoms
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Social isolation
• Low self-esteem
• Disappointment in not being able to have any more children (or any children)

Depression and mood swings during perimenopause and menopause are treated in much the similar way as depression that strikes at any other time

Treatment is possible, and with depression symptoms controlled, many women find the menopausal years to be refreshing and freeing

Women experience markedly greater prevalence of anxiety disorders than men, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and specific phobias.

Anxiety disorders among women often precipitate or worsen at times of hormonal fluctuation, including puberty, the premenstruum, pregnancy or postpartum, and the menopausal transition.

women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety as men, starting from the time they reach puberty until about the age of 50.

Does presentation of anxiety differs ion men and women?

Yes, women are more likely to internalize anxiety than men who are likel;y to show irritability.

How do you know if you’re dealing with anxiety, or just having bad days?

• Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders:
• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Certainty that something bad is going to happen
• Restlessness and the inability to remain still or calm
• Muscle tension and aches
• Difficulty concentrating and sleeping
• Increased heart rate
• Stomach discomfort (gasses, sudden diarrhea)
• Fatigue
• Dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath, which may make a woman feel like she's about to faint.

Signs of Anxiety Disorders :

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Fluctuating blood pressure
• Slightly elevated or reduced body temperature
• Abnormal blood levels of reproductive hormones
• Abnormal bone density reading

Ask yourself these questions :

• “Am I worrying a lot?”
• “Do I constantly find myself thinking about the future? Or past?”
• “Do I ruminate over things I said or did or that happened to me?”
• “Do I engage in obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior?” (Think: counting, washing, or other repetitive rituals)
• “Do I get excessively nervous in anticipation of social situations?”

If the answer to most or all of those questions is yes, and the symptoms are disturbing your daily functioning , u need to consult a psychiatrist.

And don’t be too hard on yourself or fall into the trap of thinking your anxiety is just a state of mind that you can fix on your own.

Women experience markedly greater prevalence of anxiety disorders than men, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and specific phobias.

Anxiety disorders among women often precipitate or worsen at times of hormonal fluctuation, including puberty, the premenstruum, pregnancy or postpartum, and the menopausal transition.

women are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety as men, starting from the time they reach puberty until about the age of 50.

Does presentation of anxiety differs ion men and women?

Yes, women are more likely to internalize anxiety than men who are likel;y to show irritability.

How do you know if you’re dealing with anxiety, or just having bad days?

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Fluctuating blood pressure
• Slightly elevated or reduced body temperature
• Abnormal blood levels of reproductive hormones
• Abnormal bone density reading

Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders:

• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Certainty that something bad is going to happen
• Restlessness and the inability to remain still or calm
• Muscle tension and aches
• Difficulty concentrating and sleeping
• Increased heart rate
• Stomach discomfort (gasses, sudden diarrhea)
• Fatigue
• Dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath, which may make a woman feel like she's about to faint.

Signs of Anxiety Disorders :

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Fluctuating blood pressure
• Slightly elevated or reduced body temperature
• Abnormal blood levels of reproductive hormones
• Abnormal bone density reading

Ask yourself these questions :

• “Am I worrying a lot?”
• “Do I constantly find myself thinking about the future? Or past?”
• “Do I ruminate over things I said or did or that happened to me?”
• “Do I engage in obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior?” (Think: counting, washing, or other repetitive rituals)
• “Do I get excessively nervous in anticipation of social situations?”

If the answer to most or all of those questions is yes, and the symptoms are disturbing your daily functioning , u need to consult a psychiatrist.

And don’t be too hard on yourself or fall into the trap of thinking your anxiety is just a state of mind that you can fix on your own.

20 and 40 percent of women experience a combination of physical and emotional symptoms that after ovulation and before the start of their menstrual period. These symptoms are referred to as PMS (Pre Menstrual Syndrome)

PMS symptoms are different for every woman. You may get physical symptoms, such as bloating or gassiness, or emotional symptoms, such as sadness, or both. Your symptoms may also change throughout your life.

20 and 40 percent of women experience moderate to severe premenstrual symptoms (PMS).

3 and 8 percent of these experience symptoms that prevent them from functioning in normal daily life. This is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

What is PMDD?

PMDD is rather a severe form of PMS. Symptoms start about a week before your period is due and continue until a couple of days after your period has started.

Most common symptoms include:

• Anxiety, tension, feelings of being "on edge"
• Lack of interest in daily activities
• Depressed feelings, feelings of hopelessness, negative thoughts about yourself
• Suddenly sad or tearful; sudden sensitivity to criticism or rejection
• Difficulty concentrating
• Lethargy
• Changes in appetite; lack of appetite, increase in appetite, unusual cravings
• Sleeping more or less
• Feeling out of control
• Sudden bouts of anger
• Suicidal thoughts
• Heightened symptoms of PMS: tender breasts, cramping, bloating, muscle pain, and weight gain.

What Causes PMDD ?

The exact cause of PMDD and PMS remains unclear.

It is suggested that PMDD stems from the brain’s abnormal response to a woman’s fluctuation of normal hormones during the menstrual cycle. This, in turn, could lead to a deficiency in the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Who might get PMDD?

You may be more prone to PMDD if you have:

Anxiety or depression.

PMS.

Family history of PMS, PMDD or mood disorders.

It is normal to experience both emotional and physical discomfort in the days leading up to menstruation. However, these symptoms should not be so bad that they significantly impact your work, your family, or your other relationships. If you find that your premenstrual struggles are consistently affecting your life, start paying attention and seek professional help.

Women play multiple roles of being a Mother, wife, employee, friend, healer, caregiver, and the list goes on. The complexity of all of these roles can cause ups and downs throughout life.

Coping with Daily life events can cause ups and downs in a woman. Mostly, after a few days, emotions tend to level out and one don’t feel down in the dumps anymore. But, if the “downs” don’t go away after a few days and interferes with daily life activities and relationships ,it might be Depression. Symptoms can last weeks, months, or years and can be intermittent or a one-time occurrence.

Depression in women is very common.

according to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Around 9.5% of women in India are suffering from depression, women are twice as likely to develop clinical depression as men.

Up to 1 in 4 women are likely to have an episode of major depression at some point in life

What Are the Symptoms of Depression in Women?

• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
• Restlessness, crankiness, or excessive crying
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
• Sleeping too much or too little, early-morning waking
• Appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain
• Less energy, fatigue, feeling "slowed down"
• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
• Trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

What Raises the Chances of Depression in Women?

Hormonal factors:

Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone affect serotonin, a feel-goodWhen hormone levels drop, serotonin levels drop, sometimes bringing on a maddening shift in mood. brain chemical.

Psychological factors:

• Women exhibit emotion foucused coping style.
• They tend to ruminate more about negative thoughts
• negative body images usually begin in adolescence and seem to be correlated with the onset of puberty in women.

Social factors:

• Marital problems
• Relational; problems
• Financial iisues
• Work life balance issues
• Loss of a social support system or the threat of such a loss
• loss of a job,
• separation, or divorce
• Physical or sexual abuse as a child
• Family history of mood disorders
• History of mood disorders in early reproductive years

How Does Depression in Women Differ From Depression in Men?

Depression in women may happen earlier, last longer, be more likely to come back, be more likely to be tied to stressful life events, and be more sensitive to seasonal changes.

Women are more likely to have guilty feelings and attempt suicide, although they actually take their own lives less often than men.

Depression in women is more likely to be linked to anxiety disorders, especially panic and phobic symptoms, and eating disorders.

Some women continue to live with a troubled state of mind for the most part of their lives to avoid social stigma.

If you are a woman and suffering from depression, it is best to seek treatment right away to improve your quality of life. Your perpetual feeling of sadness can be very traumatizing and can hamper your daily lives

When most people hear “eating disorder” they often think of anorexia nervosa and envision a very thin, sick looking woman.

In fact, binge eating disorder is three times more common than anorexia and bulimia combined. And binge eating disorder is underdiagnosed, so there are many more people suffering from this eating disorder than we realize.

Binge eating is different from over eating and emotional eating

Overeating.

Enjoying a delicious meal is one of life’s simple pleasures. Sometimes that restaurant or holiday meal tastes so good, it’s hard to stop eating, even if you’re feeling full. This is “overeating” and it doesn’t usually trigger feelings of guilt or shame. Overeating exists along a continuum of what we consider “normal” eating.

Emotional Eating.

Emotional eating is eating for reasons beyond physical hunger. For example, drowning our sorrows in ice cream after a tough break-up, or eating popcorn mindlessly on the sofa because we are bored.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED).

Binge Eating Disorder is much more than simply overeating or emotional eating.

Bingeing is characterized by feeling a loss of control with food and then feeling bad about it. There is no specific portion of food that distinguishes overeating from bingeing – it’s more about how someone feels.

Signs to look for if you are binge eating:

• Eating much more rapidly than normal
• Eating until uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry
• Eating alone due to embarrassment
• Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or very guilty afterward
• Marked distress during binge eating
• Bingeing occurs, on average, at least once a week for 3 months
• Making excuses not to eat in public or avoiding eating situations
• withdrawing from hobbies they used to enjoy
• Commenting on their weight/appearance
• General changes in behaviour

What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?

• There is no single cause for BED
• Genetic and biological factors
• Co-occurring mental health issues: mood disorders, addiction, PTSD, bipolar disorder, OCD
• frequent or restrictive dieting
• history of weight stigma
• childhood trauma (abuse, neglect)
• relationship between food insecurity and binge eating disorder.

Common Binge Eating Disorder Myths You Need to Know

• Overeating regularly at meal or snack time is considered binge eating.
• Binge eating disorder only affects people who have a larger body size.
• Binge eating disorder is one of the rarest types of eating disorders.
• The best way to recover from binge eating disorder is to diet.
• People who suffer from binge eating disorder are “food addicts”.

People in the midst of an eating disorder may not recognise that they need help.

It’s important to note that while eating disorders can affect the way someone looks (i.e. they may lose or put on weight), it’s the behavioural changes that happen first so these are important to look out for.