My story: Losing my wife – an avoidable tragedy?

Summary

*Trigger warning.*

This story, published by Balance, is a very hard-hitting account from a husband who lost his wife by suicide. Pete wants to tell others about Victoria’s experience to raise awareness of how suddenly and severely mental health can deteriorate during the perimenopause. What happened to Victoria is rare and there is effective treatment for low mood related to the menopause. However, it is a tragic fact that suicide rates for women peak between the ages of 45-54 years, and much more needs to be done to recognise and treat the problem of changing hormones on a woman’s mental wellbeing.