Stop Telling Women It's All in Their Head: The Reality of Peri/Menopause

"It’s just stress."
"It’s part of getting older."
"Maybe you should try meditation."

These dismissive responses are all too familiar to women seeking help for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. While hot flashes and night sweats are readily accepted as legitimate symptoms, the psychological changes—anxiety, depression, brain fog, and mood fluctuations—often face unwarranted skepticism from healthcare providers.

Dr. Lisa Mosconi, director of the Women’s Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medical College, provides compelling evidence in her groundbreaking book “ The Menopause Brain” that these symptoms have a clear biological basis. Her research reveals how estrogen acts as a "master regulator" in the female brain, influencing everything from memory and mood to sleep patterns and stress response.

The science is unequivocal: Estrogen receptors are present throughout the brain, directly influencing cognitive function, mood regulation, and memory formation. When estrogen levels fluctuate and decline during perimenopause and menopause, these changes have a direct physiological impact on brain chemistry. These symptoms aren’t imagined—they’re biological realities, as demonstrated by Dr. Mosconi’s extensive research.

Yet, the current standard of care often defaults to prescribing antidepressants like Prozac or Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT/HRT), both of which don’t address the root cause of hormonally induced psychological symptoms. Antidepressants mask the symptoms, and MHT may not be suitable for all women due to its risks and side effects.

But what if there was something better? What if there was a treatment that was not only more fit for purpose but also addressed the root cause of these symptoms—something that works with the body’s natural processes, has fewer side effects, and doesn’t rely on generalized treatments?

This is exactly what our clinical trial aims to explore. We’re investigating an evidence-based, botanical treatment that targets these symptoms at their source, offering women a more effective and natural alternative to traditional medications.

Women deserve healthcare providers who understand that psychological symptoms during perimenopause and menopause are real, biologically driven, and worthy of serious medical attention—a truth that pioneering researchers like Dr. Mosconi continue to validate through rigorous scientific investigation.

Women don’t need more ways to log their symptoms; they need options that change their health outcomes.

Have you encountered dismissal when discussing menopause or perimenopause symptoms with healthcare providers?

Join the conversation about improving women’s healthcare.