Feeling Meh? It Could Be Your Hormones
The feeling is not as dark as depression. Life is not a daily battle. It’s just become …. Blah. Learn more about anhedonia, a condition linked to your hormones
The world is opening up again. You can go out to dinner, travel on holiday and yet… these things just do not seem as exciting as you imagined they would be. Significant events are happening all around you and yet you feel detached. Like you are someone playing the role of a person who cares.
The feeling is not as dark as depression. Life is not a daily battle. It’s just become …. Blah. You tell yourself. “Maybe this is what normal life is like? After all, you are not a teenager anymore - you are a busy working mother, with responsibilities. So you tell yourself that you should not be expecting the emotional highs to be as high as they once were.
But there may be a medical reason behind how you are feeling. Welcome to the little-known syndrome of anhedonia. The word comes from the ancient Greek word that means “No pleasure”. Doctors and therapists define anhedonia as a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed.
But what does it have to do with your hormones?
Levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen decrease as you appoach the menopause. This affects levels of the feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin - and these hormone changes can trigger anhedonia.
Menopause can occur any time between the ages 45 and 55. But changes in your body start long before that. What’s called the Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women aged 40 to 44. It is marked by changes in menstrual flow and in the length of the cycle. There may also be sudden surges or drops in oestrogen. And this means anhedonia may creep up on you long before you actually reach the menopause.
Psychotherapist Lohani Noor explains that anhedonia can be confused with clinical depression, but it has distinct symptoms. People with depression commonly feel a continuous low mood or sadness. “But anhedonia sufferers say they don’t feel much of anything. It’s like the world goes from glorious technicolour to black and white.”
Some anhedonia sufferers also lose some sensations - some women say they cannot smell the fragrance of flowers like before. Research at the University of Ankara in Turkey found that 35 per cent of women said hormone changes changed their sense of taste and made them less sensitive to flavours.
*Rachel is aged 47. She says she knew something was wrong with her hormones when Covid travel restrictions ended and she was finally able to visit her beloved father, who lives in another country. After two years apart she thought she would be thrilled to connect again. But she says. “I felt nothing much. I was pleased. But it was a vague feeling.”
*Sue, who is 44, describes the feeling of anhedonia as “always feeling underwhelmed. I have a lovely life, a good career and two wonderful children. But I just feel numb to it.”
Dr Ferhat Uddin is a doctor who specialises in menopause care. He treats many sufferers of anhedonia. “Women tell me that they have lost their zest for life, but they cannot exactly say why. They just do not enjoy things anymore. Many end up blaming themselves - because they do not realise there may be a biological explanation.”
Dr Uddin points out that the drop off in oestrogen hormone levels do not just affect the brain. The changes also affect the levels of bacteria in the gut, which is where feel-good hormones like serotonin are made. “We need more research, but it seems possible that there is an interplay between gut bacteria and our hormones in midlife that can make women feel differently. Some doctors will prescribe antidepressants, but these can numb the emotions even more.”
The theory is that boosting hormone levels with HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy may be more helpful. Many women worry that HRT will increase cancer risk. But recent medical guidelines say it depends on the type of hormone therapy you take, and for how long.
Plus the benefits of HRT — such as quality of life and protection of bone health — can outweigh the risks for certain women, particularly those who enter menopause at an early age. So you do need to talk to your doctor to find out if it might be right for you.
The good news is that even if you choose not to take HRT, anhedonia seems to eventually disappear naturally. Studies show that after the menopause has happened, the woman start to feel pleasure agai, and can smell flowers and taste food like before.
Dr Uddin explains, “Studies show that women’s brains partly compensate for the decline in oestrogen by increasing blood flow and producing more of a molecule called ATP. This is the main energy source for cells.”
Share your feelings
Firstly, do not beat yourself up. Anhedonia is not a sign that you are selfish or a bad mother, wife or friend. Try sharing your feelings with your family or husband - and explain that there may be a medical reason for your lack of interest in things. Ask them to help you find activities that you both enjoy.
Rediscover touch
Just 15 minutes of massage can boost levels of the feel good hormone oxytocin. Try starting your day with five minutes of DIY facial massage. Notice the sensations you feel as you look in the mirror. And throughout the day, look for ways to connect with your body through touch and movement - like walking barefoot on a cool floor, touching plants on your balcony, wearing soft fabrics and noticing the taste of what you are eating.
Eat to boost oestrogen
While HRT to replace oestrogen levels can improve your mood, it is also a good idea to look at what you eat. Try eating foods rich in phytoestrogens - plant chemicals that mimic the effect of oestrogen. You’ll find them in soybeans, edamame, tempe, tofu, soy milk, nuts and seeds..
Text: Bauer Syndication/The Australian Women’s Weekly.