“Falling estrogen and progesterone levels can trigger mood swings that make you less able to cope with things you'd normally let roll off your back,” says Payne. “For some women, these hormonal dips can set off a depressive episode, especially for those who've gone through major depression in the past.”
Hormonal changes
Oestrogen is our happy hormone. It makes us feel good as it acts as an antidepressant. So, unfortunately, as our oestrogen starts to fall as we go through the peri-menopause and the menopause, that can affect our mood and that's what can bring on the teariness.
Serotonin. Serotonin is another hormone that affects mood, appetite and sleep. It is also a neurotransmitter, which means that it transmits messages between nerve cells.
Depression and anxiety affect women in their estrogen-producing years more often than men or postmenopausal women. Estrogen is also linked to mood disruptions that occur only in women -- premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and postpartum depression.
Estrogen is related to production of serotonin, a mood-regulating neurotransmitter. Fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels, plus other factors, cause serotonin production disruption, leading to more mood swings. Mood disorders are common during this time.
Estrogen bolsters learning and memory through the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain on which estrogen and progesterone both act. The hormone also protects emotional well-being—when estrogen plummets in menopause, anxiety and depression often result.
Biologically, there may be a reason women cry more than men: Testosterone may inhibit crying, while the hormone prolactin (seen in higher levels in women) may promote it.
Researchers have established that crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, also known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain.
Sadness is associated with increased activity of the right occipital lobe, the left insula, the left thalamus the amygdala and the hippocampus. The hippocampus is strongly linked with memory, and it makes sense that awareness of certain memories is associated with feeling sad.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Causes of Low Estrogen Levels
Excessive exercise. Thyroid conditions. Pituitary gland dysfunction. Anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders.
While there is growing evidence to suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can relieve emotional symptoms linked to menopause, HRT alone is not effective in treating more severe depression. Antidepressant drug therapy and/or psychotherapy may be necessary.
Many women find that they feel calmer, have more energy, are more motivated and generally much happier when they take HRT. Some women also need to take the hormone testosterone which is usually given as a gel but can also be given as an implant.
The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most menopause and perimenopause symptoms, including hot flushes, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings and vaginal dryness.
Dopamine: Often called the "happy hormone," dopamine results in feelings of well-being. A primary driver of the brain's reward system, it spikes when we experience something pleasurable. Praised on the job?
Crying easily can be a symptom of depression, anxiety, or a lot of stress in your life. Since HSPs feel so deeply and can experience sensory overload, we're more susceptible to strong feelings of depression or anxiety. We might feel alone in our sensitivity or isolate ourselves to reduce excess stimuli.
Neurological effects
Estradiol medication can cause depression, mood swings, irritability, anger, dizziness and headaches.
Serotonin is responsible for your feelings of happiness, wellbeing and the stability of your mood. It also helps regulate your sleep cycle and other processes in your body including your appetite.
If you have estrogen or progesterone imbalances, you can have difficult remembering things. You might cry at the drop of a hat and you can experience mood swings from deeply sad one minute to happy the next.
The tear glands (lacrimal glands), located above each eyeball, continuously supply tear fluid that's wiped across the surface of your eye each time you blink your eyes. Excess fluid drains through the tear ducts into the nose.
When it comes to happiness, in particular, the primary signaling chemicals include: Serotonin. Dopamine. Endorphins.
The drop in estrogen and progesterone that occurs at the end of a women's menstrual cycle may cause anxiety and other mood symptoms. This is similar to the drop experienced during perimenopause, the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause.
Low estrogen levels can lead to irritability, anxiety, and depression. Your moods can change quickly and vary greatly, from laughing to crying within minutes.