Q I was never like this before, but lately I feel depressed for no reason, my heart races, and I can't sleep. Is this also because of menopause?
A Yes. Declining estrogen also affects the brain functions that regulate emotions, causing depression, anxiety, and palpitations. It is not because you are weak-willed; it is a common symptom that stems from hormonal changes.
Detailed Answer
Estrogen is closely linked to the brain's neurotransmitters that stabilize mood. So during menopause, when the hormone declines, you may feel depressed for no particular reason, become irritable over trivial things, or tear up easily. When palpitations and insomnia are added on top, mood swings can become even more severe. This is not because your willpower is weak, but a natural response created by changes in the body.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, a state called Non-Interaction of the Heart and Kidney (simsin-bulgyo) — in which the Fire of the Heart (sim) floats upward while the Water of the Kidney (sin) is deficient below, so the two cannot meet — is seen as causing palpitations, anxiety, and insomnia together. By calming the floating Fire and replenishing the deficient Yin so that the mind and body connect again, we treat the depression and physical symptoms as one continuous flow.
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