Taunton woman shares menopause story to help others

Anna thought her mental health issues were over until she was in her mid-forties

A woman who suffered such extreme depression she ended up in a psychiatric hospital had no idea the symptoms were due to early menopause.

Anna, 46, from Taunton in Somerset, had experienced mental health problems in her 20s, as well as postnatal depression and OCD after her first child was born, but by her mid-forties "thought those days were over".

She has shared her story with BBC Somerset's breakfast presenter Claire Carter to encourage other women to be aware of the symptoms.

Right through my thirties and early forties I was absolutely fine.

I had two more children and I didn't have post-natal depression after them.

So I really thought that that stuff was behind me and if anything came back I would know what to do.

Anna was so ill she lost two stone (12.7kg) while in hospital

In November 2020, I caught Covid and was quite unwell.

I made a good recovery physically, quite quickly, but I just didn't feel myself "100%" mentally.

But it was coming into Christmas and I just thought it's a busy time, and I'm just a bit run down.

In January we had to home-school for three months and I really struggled with that.

Anna sees a psychiatrist

He said "everyone's going through a stressful time" so he put my antidepressant dose up and said "I'm sure you'll be fine in a few weeks".

I also contacted my old therapist.

I got worse and worse and worse and all the things I was doing weren't helping and I couldn't understand - in the past I'd always responded so quickly to medication and therapy.

It got to the June and my OCD was completely out of control and I was terrified by all these horrible thoughts I was having.

I got into bed and didn't get out of bed for three weeks.

Anna was on six psychiatric drugs when she was admitted to hospital

I didn't even know it was possible to feel that depressed. My brain felt like it was turned off.

The two other doctors that I saw put me more medications and ultimately took me into psychiatric hospital.

They kept trying to make me go to these therapy sessions and I kept saying 'I've got nothing wrong in my life, I've got nothing to say".

Anna was discharged after four weeks

I was functional by them and I was on the maximum doses of the antidepressants. I just didn't feel like me.

I actually made a friend in hospital and she said to me, have you thought it could be menopause?

I thought, no I'm only 45 and this is really extreme, it can't be anything to do with menopause.

"I don't think people realise that oestrogen is very important in your brain," said Anna

Anna realised it could be the menopause and was offered HRT

The penny dropped very slowly.

It (HRT) saved my life.

I just felt like the blood was flowing in my brain again. I'd say too feel 100% it took six months.

Obviously what happened to me is very extreme, I don't want to scare anyone.

• What is the menopause and what are the signs?

• HRT explained: Is it right for me?

As women you're so used to your hormones being up and down... you don't really think about it having that much of an input on your health.

I advise all women over 35 to download the free Balance app where you can monitor your symptoms over time and print a health report and charts you can take to your doctor.

Don't wait until you're having symptoms, just do it as part of your general health.

Additional reporting: Harriet Robinson and Carrian Jones