Women entering perimenopause–the period before menopause begins when the body is getting ready to stop having periods–are dealing with a multitude of changes. Hormone fluctuations can cause hot flashes, sleep disruptions, mood swings and irritability, bladder problems, decreased libido, and even bone loss.
For up to 10 percent of women in the United States who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), these symptoms are compounded by the difficulties of trauma processing in perimenopause. Trauma reprocessing and hormonal changes can go hand-in-hand, exacerbating an already stressful circumstance.
Many women have found the evidence-based treatment of EMDR therapy for menopause and trauma a powerful tool for processing trauma during the perimenopausal transition, when hormonal changes can trigger or intensify PTSD symptoms.
PTSD: Its Causes and Symptoms
When a person experiences a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events, or is caught in chronic trauma such as poverty or ongoing abuse, they may develop PTSD. In PTSD, significant distress from the trauma consistently affects the person’s daily life for a sustained period of time.
Statistically, women are at higher risk for developing PTSD than men. Symptoms of PTSD include:
- Intrusive unwanted thoughts about or vivid flashbacks to the traumatic event
- Avoiding people, places, objects, or other triggers to remembering the traumatic event
- Depression
- Struggles with memory
- Lack of interest in people or activities previously enjoyed
- Irritability and angry outbursts
- Risky or self-destructive behavior
- Hypervigilance
- Sleep problems
The impact of a traumatic event–which can include abuse, neglect, parental loss through death or divorce, or chronic poverty, to name a few–actually rewires the brain, causing lasting change in the way the person with PTSD processes stress and emotion. They can become incredibly dysregulated and hypervigilant as their minds and bodies are constantly on high alert for potential danger.
The Impact of Perimenopause on PTSD
Compounding the suffering of PTSD for many women is the onset of perimenopause. During this time of great internal change, hormonal fluctuations can amplify symptoms of PTSD. According to one study, women with childhood abuse histories reported more severe hot flashes and poorer sleep during menopause than those without childhood trauma.
Other studies reveal that trauma can speed up cardiovascular and brain aging, making the cognitive effects of menopause even more pronounced; and that symptoms of PTSD and depression increase during perimenopause, especially for Black women.
The science behind these effects shows why hormonal shifts during menopause significantly influence trauma memory processing. Declining estrogen levels, particularly estradiol, affect the hippocampus and amygdala, brain regions central to memory consolidation and emotional regulation. Reduced levels of estrogen may impair contextual processing and increase intrusive memories. Fluctuating progesterone can also potentially heighten cortisol responses to stressful situations.
With women exposed to such trauma twice as likely to develop PTSD as men, the need for a trauma-informed care approach to menopause is strong.
The Benefits of EMDR Therapy for Menopause and Trauma
Used to treat PTSD and well as part of depression and addiction treatment, EMDR–or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing–can be a lifeline for women.
But what is EMDR therapy? Other well-known talk therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR is a brain-based therapy. This highly-structured practice uses standardized procedures–such as side-to-side eye movement, alternating sounds, or back-and-forth taps–to stimulate bilateral brain activity.
The idea behind this, according to clinical psychologist Steven Silver, is that “traumatic memories, when unprocessed, can become ‘stuck’ in the brain, leading to a wide array of emotional and psychological difficulties.” Stimulating both sides of the brain helps to get the memory “unstuck” so that it can be processed and healed from.
During EMDR sessions, practitioners not only help clients activate (in some cases, for the first time) a traumatic memory. They also, through the side-to-side stimulation, help the client reframe the trauma using additional information they have learned now that the trauma is over–namely, that they are safe, that the danger is over, and that it wasn’t their fault.
This eye movement therapy in menopause can be particularly effective. As the brain experiences hormone-induced changes, memories themselves and how they are accessed can begin to change. Under the care of a trained practitioner, brain-based therapies like EMDR for women’s trauma treatment can help reframe those traumatic memories that may have haunted a woman for much of her life.
EMDR for Women Over 40: What Does It Look Like?
If you are a woman over 40 who is considering EMDR therapy for menopause and trauma, you may be wondering what it is like, and how the practice may be specifically adapted for your needs.
One necessary aspect of success with EMDR is working with a trained practitioner who will take a thorough history before they begin sessions. Understanding if they may be dealing with dual diagnoses–such as PTSD and substance abuse, which often go hand-in-hand–will help the EMDR practitioner tailor treatment for their clients’ needs.
Practitioners of EMDR for women over 40 are also aware of the many kinds of trauma women may experience during their lives. It can range from abuse or neglect in childhood, to relational trauma in adulthood, to workplace trauma, to medical trauma, such as a cancer diagnosis. Many grown women have faced a lifetime of difficulty that may affect them in a variety of ways. Thoughtful EMDR practice uses a trauma informed care approach to unearth layers of trauma and carefully reframe and heal from them.
Beginning Your Healing Journey
There are many things to consider as you begin thinking about EMDR during perimenopause for anxiety, depression, PTSD, or any other mental health issues.
As part of any outpatient or residential treatment program, integrating EMDR with hormone-aware care is vital for menopausal women processing trauma. Fluctuating hormone levels influence emotional regulation, stress reactivity, and memory reconsolidation, potentially affecting EMDR responsiveness, so coordinating therapy sessions with symptom tracking may help practitioners anticipate periods of heightened sensitivity or cognitive fog. Collaboration between mental health providers and medical professionals can support decisions about hormone therapy, sleep stabilization, and stress reduction.
Additionally, educating women about the impact of menopause on the brain empowers them, reducing self-blame and enhancing their partnership with their therapist.
Holistic recovery from addictions that can develop during this time will necessarily include coping skills for childhood trauma, hormone-awareness, addiction treatment, and–often–a brain-based therapy like EMDR.
Wellness and holistic rehab facilities may also include somatic therapy approaches. This approach differs from talk therapy and EMDR in that it seeks to incorporate the mind and body in the healing process, acknowledging that trauma is often held in our physical bodies at the cellular level.
EMDR Therapy for Menopause and Trauma at Sana at Stowe
If you or a loved one are facing the intersection of trauma and menopause and are looking for a holistic residential treatment center, consider Sana at Stowe in Vermont. Our rural setting provides peace, free from the many stresses and burdens of everyday life, so that you can begin processing past hurts and healing in a safe, trauma-informed environment.
If you find effects of past trauma intensifying with the onset of menopause, do not suffer in silence. Reach out to Sana at Stowe today to see all of our resources at 866-575-9958.
