I am 50 years old and my periods are irregular. Sometimes I feel so angry and frustrated. I have no idea where the anger is coming from and now I don't trust my emotions. I just lash out at my loved ones and then feel extremely regretful and guilty. What should I do to help myself and those around me?

This is something a lot of women experience as their hormonal balance starts to change, I would suggest a good female multivitamin with extra magnesium (magnesium calms and lifts the mood, aids relaxation and sleep) and you could also add Female Essence. This can be taken whenever you feel the need to calm down - just put a couple of drops on the tongue. Relaxation is vital at this point so do try to take 30 minutes of 'me-time' every day, it can work wonders very quickly! You can get lots of lovely relaxation CDs/downloads from Amazon. I do find that it is a good idea to explain to those around you what is happening and that the menopause is a hormonal state (a bit like puberty in reverse!) and that their support will help you through it..

Eileen Durward