Your Questions Answered
Are there any practical books on the market that discuss women's mood changes?
As women’s health care providers, we talk with patients about not only their physical well-being, but also their state of mental and emotional health. Women often describe mood changes or emotional disturbances which seem to correlate with hormonal changes or with the reproductive phases of their lives. Intuitively, we know this to be true. For most women, mood is absolutely affected by developmental milestones such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, as well as by the more frequent and ongoing changes associated with the menstrual cycle. There is one such book on this topic: Women’s Moods: What Every Woman Must Know About Hormones, the Brain and Emotional Health, written by co-authors Deborah Sichel, MD and Jeanne Watson Driscoll, MS, RN, CS.
In their book Women’s Moods, Sichel and Driscoll present a thorough explanation of the overlapping variables that affect a woman’s brain and emotional/mental health. According to the authors, hormonal fluctuations, genetic predisposition, brain chemistry and life events are all inseparably linked and can greatly affect mood and well-being. Sichel and Driscoll use the analogy of an earthquake to explain how these interacting factors can lead to emotional imbalances such as PMS, PMDD, depression and anxiety (in particular, depression and anxiety as relates to pregnancy, the post-partum period and menopause). The combination of life stressors, genetic predisposition and hormonal shifts can often work synergistically to create abnormal brain chemistry (causing “fault lines” beneath the surface). Either a traumatic event or ongoing stressors which overwhelm the already strained brain can cause the fault lines to give way, leading to distressing symptoms of either depression or anxiety (the emotional “earthquake”). Sichel and Driscoll illustrate this paradigm with many stories of women they have treated in an easy-to-grasp way for the reader. Many readers will be able to relate to the stories personally, and will experience a sense of relief in knowing that they are not alone, and that their experiences have a name. These vignettes help to demystify the relationship between hormones and mood, and leave the reader with a greater understanding of a topic that is rarely discussed or understood.
Furthermore, Driscoll and Sichel have created a plan of care for women who seek to improve their emotional/mental health, referred to as the NURSE program. Nourishment, Understanding, Rest and Relaxation, Spirituality and Exercise are considered vital aspects of any woman’s self-care, and necessary for healing and wellness to take place. The authors describe detailed suggestions and guidelines for how to achieve optimal results in all of these areas with the overall goal of re-regulating the brain’s chemistry. Their advice is sensible and leaves the reader with the message that self-care is not only important but also possible.
Overall, the book Women’s Moods by Deborah Sichel and Jeanne Watson Driscoll is highly recommended by our staff. It brings clarity and insight to an area of women’s health care which is often overlooked – that area where one’s genetics, life history and hormones intersect. Intended for both clinicians and the lay person, it is a book which is enjoyable and quite helpful to read for its vast information, interesting vignettes, and practical suggestions.