b'Menopause is not a sign of old age and its not an illness but, for far too long, there has been a shroud of embarrassment, shame and fear around the topic of menopause as that of mental ill health!Menopausereferstothetimewhenyoustophavingperiodsandcannolongergetpregnantnaturally.Ithappensbecausetheovariesstopproducingeggsand,asaresult,levelsofthehormonestheyproduce(oestrogen,progesteroneandtestosterone)fall.Everywomansexperienceofthemenopausewillbedifferentbutchanginghormonescanaffectphysical,emotionalandmentalhealth.Approachingmiddleageoftenbringsincreasedstress,anxietyandfear.Thiscanpartiallybeattributedtophysicalchangesanddecreasinglevelsofestrogenandprogesteronewhichcancausetemporarymoodchanges,includingsymptomsofdepressionaswellashotflashes,sweatingandothersymptoms.'