It’s the loneliness of a woman who has a full life on paper, maybe a partner, children, a career, a social media presence that would suggest she’s connected, and yet something feels quietly, persistently missing. The conversations she’s having don’t go very deep. The friendships that used to feel sustaining have drifted. She can’t quite remember the last time she felt truly known by someone.

If you have started searching things like "perimenopause rage" or "why am I so angry," you are far from alone. Research suggests irritability is the primary mood complaint for up to 70% of women in perimenopause. About 4 in 10 women experience mood symptoms during the transition that are similar to what they may have felt premenstrually, except the timing is unpredictable and the intensity is often greater.