Menopause, Depression, Color, and Scent, Oh My

What do depression during menopause and sensory therapy have in common?

How about the latter healing the former?

That's right. Nothing like some yellow in your world to lift your mood!

As if the physical symptoms of menopause were not enough, depression often shows its gloomy head during this time of your life.

However, with just a few simple changes in how you do things, you can take full advantage of all opportunities available to you during this glorious time in your life.

Now, the side effects of traditional anti-depressants have been documented plenty, so there's no need to address those here, except to say that they're so harmful that it's best to stay away from them.

If you do find yourself suddenly suffering from depression as you enter menopause, don't feel singled out. You're in the company of millions of other baby boomer women also facing depression during menopause.

Luckily, there are countless great alternative options available to you.

The very first thing to do, of course, is to consult with a health practitioner who specializes in menopause. All of the information in this article is accurate and will heal you, but you need the advice of a professional to determine which is best for you, and in what doses.

Sensory therapy is a good, gentle place to start when faced with depression as a result of menopause (and otherwise, too).

It might seem a bit silly at first if you've never used it, but it works!

So. What is sensory therapy?

There are many different branches to this form of treatment. Several are commonly used in cases of autism and other sensory-perception illnesses.

However, they also work great with the symptoms of menopause, especially for those baby boomer women who are experiencing depression or stress.

Color therapy is one such sensory therapy. This is still being widely studied but many women are finding relief from menopause symptoms with color therapy.

You too can experience these healing effects.

We now know that color and light affect our moods and personalities. Some experts spend their entire lives, for example, studying what color to paint a newborn's room. Advocates for color therapy (as well as those studying a similar branch, light therapy) assert that color affects us not only mentally, but also physically.

When focusing on menopausal healing, the colors blue, green, and yellow are most commonly used.

Close your eyes right now and see these colors, one at a time. What did you feel with each one? Most people relate these three colors to the ocean, the sky, and nature-all very calming and soothing things to think about.

Yellow is the most popular color to use as therapy for depression. Just think about it. Doesn't yellow make you think of cheerful things? Yellow, as color therapists tell us, helps a mind that is fatigued and also stimulates thought. Simply put, it helps us get out of depressive slumps.

Blue will serve to increase your energy level, while it simultaneously calms your nerves. It will also help you physically deal with menstruation difficulties when you first enter menopause.

Green will help you sleep better and also control any irritability you feel. Try wearing green pajamas at night, or put green sheets on your bed, and see if that helps..

Color is everywhere, so use it in all aspects of your life. If you've decided to bring yellow in to alleviate the symptoms of depression, for instance, don't just put it on your walls. Eat corn, bananas, and eggs. Wear it where you can see it, such wearing a yellow shirt or scarf, or gloves.

Still skeptical about color being able to heal? What about smells? Aromatherapy is another branch of sensory treatment, and is slightly more popular and certainly better- known.

Thousands of women have found relief using aromatherapy.

A variety of scents can help women suffering from menopause symptoms. But again, I must caution you here. See a professional before you embark on aromatherapy.

There are literally hundreds of essential oils to help you deal with perimenopause and menopause, but if you mix them the wrong way, they just smell really bad and put you in a bad mood. Or, they'll do nothing at all, and you'll think aromatherapy doesn't work.

Some of the scents commonly used to relieve symptoms associated with menopause include:

• juniper and rosemary for muscle and joint pain
• peppermint to help with headaches
• chamomile and lavender to calm stressful thoughts
• sage to deal with headaches
• thyme to help you sleep
• and lemongrass to ease symptoms associated with menstruation.

Again, a professional will be able to explain these alternative healing "tools" in detail, and working with you, will be able to prescribe the correct essential oil, or color therapy for your particular symptoms.

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