“Am I Losing It?”: Understanding Your Emotions in Menopause

You’re going about your day—maybe trying to focus at work or just folding laundry—and suddenly you’re flooded with emotion. Grief. Rage. A tearful ache you can’t quite explain. And no, it’s not just “hormones.” It’s menopause. And it’s emotional as hell.

You’re not losing your mind. You’re experiencing a hormonal recalibration.

Perimenopause and menopause bring a shift in estrogen, progesterone, and other key hormones that affect much more than periods and hot flashes. These changes also impact your brain chemistry, your sleep, and your ability to regulate emotions. Add in aging parents, growing kids, changing bodies, and relationship shifts? It’s a perfect emotional storm.

The emotional symptoms are real—and common:

• Feeling easily overwhelmed or irritable

• Unexpected mood swings or crying spells

• Increased anxiety or restlessness

• Emotional disconnection or numbness

• A deep sense of grief or loss—of identity, youth, or time

It’s not weakness. It’s a normal response to an enormous internal transition.

You may also be grieving the version of you that always held it together.

So many women spent decades being the glue—nurturing others, doing everything "right," and holding back their needs. Then menopause comes along and strips away the filters. What’s left isn’t broken. It’s just honest. Raw. Real. And often long overdue.

What helps:

• Naming what you feel. Shame thrives in silence. Speaking your truth—even just to yourself—brings relief.

• Finding connection. You are not the only one crying in the car or raging at a dishwasher. Seek out support that gets it.

• Letting go of old expectations. You’re evolving. You don’t have to do it all. Or be who you once were.

• Getting curious. What if this isn’t a breakdown, but a breakthrough? What if the intensity has wisdom?

You’re not meant to do this alone.

At Beacon Hill, we work with women who are navigating the emotional rollercoaster of midlife and menopause with courage, honesty, and compassion. There is no one way to do this—but there is a way forward that feels like home. Whether you’re navigating big emotions or just need someone to talk to, we’re here. Reach out today—support is just a conversation away.

🌿 Bonus: 5 Journal Prompts for Menopause Clarity

1. What emotions have been showing up for me lately—and what might they be trying to tell me?(Instead of labeling feelings as “too much,” get curious about what they’re revealing.)

2. Where in my life have I been the glue for others—and what would it feel like to turn that care toward myself?(Reflect on patterns of giving, holding, and possibly neglecting your own needs.)

3. What part of me am I grieving right now? And what part of me might be ready to emerge?(Make space for both loss and possibility.)

4. What do I need to let go of—even if it’s just for today?(Let this be an invitation, not a demand. What are you carrying that’s no longer yours?)

5. If I could speak to myself with the same compassion I’d offer a dear friend, what would I say?(Write it down like a love letter to yourself. You deserve your own tenderness.)