Here you’ll explore how menopause can affect your emotions, behavior, and sense of self. We’ll clarify whether menopause truly causes personality changes, explain the science behind mood swings and brain shifts, and offer supportive strategies to help you manage symptoms and strengthen your relationships during this natural life transition.
If you’re stuck in the middle of perimenopause or menopause – or your partner is – you may be asking yourself: “Does menopause change your personality?” Or you might be looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking: “Oh my god! Who is this person?”
Studies now show that a lot more happens in your brain during perimenopause than we once realized. Estrogen level fluctuations affect your entire body, including your brain, because estrogen receptors are everywhere in your system.
The media has often kept the natural transition to post-menopause life hidden. This makes it harder for you to understand and cope with the physical, mental, and emotional changes of perimenopause, especially if you haven’t been informed or received support.
Typically, when menopause is discussed, you hear about hot flashes, night sweats, no more periods, and mood swings. But personality changes and emotional symptoms of perimenopause are rarely mentioned.
So, in this article, we’ll give you more clarity about what’s going on and ease your mind.
Personality Changes During Menopause – Does it Really Happen?
Personality changes may seem to occur during perimenopause and menopause, but they are often confused with mood swings. Let’s first define what a personality change is and how it differs from a mood swing.
Mood is a temporary feeling or state of mind. Unlike emotions, moods are more consistent and stable.
Mood swings refer to rapidly changing and intense emotions. These are often described as a “roller coaster” of feelings, swinging from happiness to anger, contentment to irritability, or even joy to depression.
Personality, on the other hand, is the combination and interaction of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The fundamental characteristics of personality include the fact that it is:
- consistent (has a recognizable order and regularity to behaviors)
- psychological in nature but influenced by biological processes and needs
and also, that it:
- affects how we move and respond in our environment and causes us to act in specific ways
- comes out in multiple expressions, not just through behavior.
What’s going on, then?
It’s easy to think that mood swings during menopause mean you’ve had a personality change, but that’s not the case.
For example, a woman who’s always been patient and kind might suddenly seem completely out of character (but of course, her hormones are all over the place!). These mood swings are likely temporary and will pass as her hormones settle, without causing a permanent personality change.
While there’s limited research on whether personality changes occur during menopause, scientists have pinpointed what happens in your brain during the menopausal transition (from two years before to two years after your last period). This explains most of what we think of as ‘personality changes.’
Let’s look at a few ideas.
Mental Symptoms of Menopause Are Not Permanent Personality Changes!
A study followed over 2,300 women for four years. When they were premenopausal, they performed well on memory, processing, and working memory tests. But during the perimenopausal estrogen dip, their ability to learn dropped.
Women who took estrogen before their last period showed improved scores, as did all women post-menopause. However, memory problems can lead to anxiety, which then worsens brain fog.
Your brain changes during perimenopause.
It’s normal for both men and women to experience tiny strokes that aren’t clinically noticeable. These small changes in neuron insulation can slow thinking. Research also shows that women with more hot flashes have more ischemic changes than those with fewer hot flashes.
Emotional Symptoms of Perimenopause and How It Affects your Brain
Menopause can trigger or worsen mood swings, temper tantrums, and depression, especially if these were already present. Many women feel like they’re losing control or aren’t themselves. But this isn’t a personality change. Estrogen fluctuations during perimenopause affect brain serotonin, cognitive function, and other systems, including insulin and cholesterol metabolism.
Menopausal symptoms overload.
Low estrogen also disrupts sleep, causes hot flashes, and brings on night sweats that reduce libido and cause vaginal dryness, making it harder to cope.
Of course, you might feel irritable, intolerant, stressed, and overwhelmed by things that never used to bother you, especially in social situations. That’s natural, and it will likely pass with time. Your core personality remains the same!
But there are things that you can do to relieve the mental symptoms of menopause.
If you feel unstable or reactive, take a moment to think of five things you’re grateful for. This can help break the mood-swing cycle.
Make healthy lifestyle choices. Get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, eat fiber, exercise regularly, do strength training, stretch, and eat a balanced diet.
Hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, and depression caused by low estrogen can be treated with Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy to stabilize your estrogen. For women who cannot take estrogen, SSRIs, acupuncture, and supplements may help.
Menopause and Mood Swings: Can Menopause Ruin a Relationship?
Yes, your temporary personality changes during menopause can make relationships difficult! But with education, communication, and self-awareness from everyone involved, relationships can thrive. Here are a few things to remember:
- Sharing a bed when hot flashes and night sweats are a problem can be tough. It’s okay for her to find a cool spot to recover, or for her partner to sleep elsewhere if sleep is being interrupted. This way, at least one of you will get a good night’s rest!
- Mood swings, nagging, rage, and emotional shifts can create tension at home. Both the woman and her loved ones need a place to vent, get support, and find understanding.
- Loss of interest in sex may occur. Remember that intimacy is not just intercourse. A loving relationship can be nurtured by sharing personal private things, kissing, cuddling, or a good massage.
- Good communication and adapting to changing needs are essential to maintaining relationships through perimenopause and menopause.
- For single women: Perimenopause may not be the best time to start a new relationship. The physical and emotional symptoms of perimenopause may leave you feeling or looking different than usual. This could be a good time to focus inward and prioritize yourself rather than seeking a romantic relationship.
Begin Your Journey to Menopausal Relief with Nava
Menopause brings many changes in your life, both physically and mentally. Personality changes during menopause can be tough as you deal with mood swings and other symptoms.
By seeking guidance and treatment, you can navigate menopause with ease. Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. Our medical experts at Nava are ready to help. We offer effective treatments for mood swings that can help you find relief during menopause.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there natural remedies or supplements to help balance estrogen and reduce mood swings during menopause?
Yes. Many women find relief from mood swings and hormonal imbalances with natural support. Supplements like magnesium, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, and herbal options such as black cohosh and chasteberry are commonly used to support estrogen balance. These natural options may ease emotional ups and downs and other symptoms like fatigue or irritability. At Nava Health, we evaluate your full health history and hormone levels to recommend supplements tailored to your needs. In some cases, hormone therapy using bio-identical hormones may be considered as part of a comprehensive plan.
How can communication and understanding between partners help manage mood changes during menopause?
Effective communication helps reduce confusion, tension, and emotional distance. When perimenopauseleads to sudden mood swings or emotional reactivity, a partner’s awareness and patience are key. Talk openly about how you’re feeling and ask for support when needed. It also helps to educate your partner about what menopause can involve—including night sweats, anxiety, and low libido—so they understand these shifts are physical and emotional, not personal. Shared understanding brings compassion and strengthens relationships through this life stage.
How can diet help manage emotional and cognitive symptoms of menopause?
What you eat impacts your brain, hormones, and mental health. A diet rich in leafy greens, berries, whole grains, and healthy fats supports steady mood and cognitive function. Foods with phytoestrogens—like soy, flaxseeds, and legumes—may mimic estrogen in the body and support balance naturally. Reducing processed foods, alcohol, and added sugars can also help stabilize energy and reduce irritability. At Nava, nutrition is a key part of menopause support, helping you manage symptoms from the inside out.
How can sleep be improved during menopause to reduce irritability and mood swings?
Poor sleep can amplify mood swings, memory issues, and anxiety. If night sweats are a challenge, keep your bedroom cool, use moisture-wicking sheets, and avoid spicy foods or alcohol before bed. Consistent bedtime routines, reduced screen time, and natural sleep aids like melatonin or magnesium can also help. Nava’s personalized approach includes sleep support to help you rest more soundly, so you wake up feeling refreshed and less reactive.
What lifestyle changes can reduce mood swings and personality changes during menopause?
While it may feel like menopause changes your personality, what’s often happening is a shift in hormone levels that affects mood, patience, and tolerance. Healthy lifestyle habits can make a big difference. Daily movement, deep breathing, strength training, and adequate hydration support your brain and nervous system. A stable routine helps your body and mind stay regulated during hormonal transitions.
What strategies can help manage stress and anxiety during perimenopause and menopause?
Stress-reducing techniques such as meditation, yoga, guided breathing, or journaling can help calm your nervous system. Regular physical activity and creative outlets also promote relaxation. Nava offers therapies like acupuncture, massage, and functional counseling as part of an integrative care plan to support emotional wellness.
How can partners emotionally support each other through personality changes during menopause?Empathy is essential. Listen without judgment, offer emotional check-ins, and remember that personality changes during menopause are typically temporary. Being present, flexible, and loving through hormonal ups and downs can help both partners feel more secure. Shared patience builds trust and connection as you navigate this life stage together.