Age 51 - last period at 50 - first symptoms at 50

I have never suffered from mental illness. At age 50 when I passed into menopause I became foggy, depressed, emotional, irrational and very angry. I was always someone who was a clear thinker, rational and able to put together a logical argument. I found myself getting paranoid, anxious, sad, not being able to remember clearly, jumping to conclusions and not trusting my judgements... As a strong, independent, single woman who has it together this scared me so much. I thought menopause was hot flashes and not getting your period. I had no idea it could entail all that I was experiencing. I saw my GP and could not believe it when she said that everything I was experiencing was normal. She gave me literature to read which helped a lot, as did talking to my friends. The thing that was most unsettling for me was my anger, short fuse and irritability. I just have patience for nothing or nobody. It was a true shock.