Suicide Awareness and the menopause live Q&A [Video]

balance app founder, Dr Louise Newson, supported this live Q&A on Suicide Awareness and the menopause with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT), the region’s NHS mental health services provider.

The public event discussed how the menopause affects mental health, including mood changes, depression and sometimes suicidal thoughts.

Joining Dr Newson on the panel is Heather Metcalf and Pete Smith. Heather’s daughter and Pete’s wife, Victoria, took her own life after struggling with perimenopausal symptoms.

Read Pete’s story in our recent article: My Story: Losing my wife – an avoidable tragedy?

Or listen to Pete discussing his experiences on The Dr Louise Newson Podcast: Losing my wife: was her perimenopause a contributing factor?

Available help, speak with someone today

Suicidal thoughts can be a sign that things are not right, and they can be very frightening and confusing.

If you’ve reached that moment and feel on the edge, call one of the available helplines below and talk about it. They will help you get through that frightening moment and make more sense of your current situation.

Remember this is a moment in time and the strength of those feelings will pass.

You’re not going through this alone, help is available. Reach out for support and with help, you can start to see your situation in a more positive light.

– Samaritans: call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

– SHOUT: text on 85258

– National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK: call 0800 689 5652

– Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): call 0800 58 58 58

For other support about perimenopausal and menopausal health, try the balance app where you can read a library of expert articles, track your symptoms and find support from a like-minded community.