02/11/2026
I wanted to share a question I received from a lovely woman in one of my health-promotion programs. She is post-menopausal and was having a hard time emotionally. With her permission, Iâm sharing an anonymous version of her questionâand my responseâbecause I know so many women quietly experience something similar.
Her question:
Hello Dr. Mills, I have been in menopause for at least 10 years but about once a month, for a few days, I am teary and emotional. I find this very embarrassing. I have tried HRT but didnât feel it was for me. Do you have any other suggestions?
My response:
Thank you so much for sharing this. Itâs far more common than most people realize, and there is absolutely nothing embarrassing about it.
Even after menopause, we remain rhythmic beings. While ovulation and menstrual cycles may have ended, your nervous system, brain chemistry, stress hormones, circadian rhythm, and emotional landscape still move in natural waves. Many women notice a roughly monthly pattern of emotional sensitivity long after their periods have stopped - and this does not mean something is wrong with you.
I often use the analogy of the seasons. If we try to resist winter - fighting the cold, the stillness, the inward pull - it can feel harsh and uncomfortable. But when we accept winter for what it is, it can become restful, reflective, even nourishing. Our emotional cycles are similar. When we judge or suppress them, they often feel heavier. When we allow them, they tend to pass more gently.
Here are a few gentle, non-hormonal approaches that many women find supportive:
Reframing the experience: Instead of seeing these days as a problem, consider them a time of heightened sensitivity or inward awareness. Permission to feel often softens the intensity.
Nervous system support: Slow breathing, time in nature, gentle movement, meditation, or journaling can help the nervous system feel safer during these windows.
Blood glucose and stress balance: Emotional vulnerability is often amplified by cortisol fluctuations. Regular meals with protein, adequate sleep, and reducing overstimulation during these days can make a meaningful difference.
Self-compassion: Emotions are not a failure of control - theyâre information. Meeting them with kindness and curiosity rather than embarrassment is often the most powerful shift.
Since HRT didnât feel right for you, focusing on supporting the brainâstressânervous system axis rather than trying to âfix hormonesâ may be a more aligned approach.
Please know youâre not alone in this. There is nothing weak or wrong about being emotionalâespecially in a body that has lived, adapted, and carried you through many seasons.
To your best health,
Dr. Patricia Mills, MD | Holistic Health & Hormones
Specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Practicing Functional Medicine
