Women Experience Isolation in Menopause, but Desire Validation

Written by Rachel Murphy · September 15, 2026

Get trusted info about menopause and connect with women who get it.

Menopause can be incredibly isolating, according to a recent survey conducted by Bonafide. Its sixth annual State of Menopause Survey highlighted the cognitive, emotional, and social effects reported by more than 2,000 women experiencing perimenopause and menopause.

Survey Results

According to the survey, feelings of overwhelm and lack of motivation at work were reported more often by women ages 40 to 49. The survey also found that 69 percent of women said they wanted to be alone more often.

While these symptoms can occur during perimenopause, they can be easy to mistake for stress and burnout from other sources.

A survey by ThisIsMenopause supports this: 82 percent of women attributed early symptoms of perimenopause to stress and anxiety, and 72 percent reported pushback from doctors, family, and friends when they brought those symptoms up.

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How Stress and Menopause Symptoms Can Overlap

Dr. Harsha Moole, an internal medicine physician and founder of FindMyDirectDoctor.com, regularly works with women in menopause. He often hears from women trying to determine whether their burnout is from overwork or menopause.

“There’s a simple test: burnout gets better with rest. Hormones don’t. If you rest and you’re still exhausted, foggy, and anxious, something internal is going on,” Dr. Moole said.

However, menopause symptoms can overlap with stress and burnout. Hormonal changes, sleep problems, mental health conditions, and life stress can all contribute to fatigue, anxiety, and problems with concentration during perimenopause.

Instead of wondering, Dr. Moole recommends tracking periods, sleep, and mood for two or three months. Tracking symptoms may help you spot patterns to discuss with your healthcare provider.

Younger Women Reported More Hopelessness

Many respondents in the Bonafide survey also reported experiencing feelings of hopelessness, with higher rates of hopelessness among women 40 to 49 than among those 50 to 64.

Dr. Moole said this higher rate of distress could be due to highly fluctuating hormone levels in perimenopause, compounded by factors like caregiving for children or parents and career pressures.

Dr. Moole warned that while feelings of isolation and hopelessness can occur during perimenopause, they shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“If you’re experiencing hopelessness, talk to your doctor,” he said. “Hormone treatments genuinely work in this window. Stay connected, even when you don’t want to, and if those feelings turn to not wanting to be here, call your doctor or a crisis line immediately.”

Note: If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or using the online chat.

Hormone therapy may help some menopause symptoms, but whether it’s appropriate depends on your symptoms, health history, and individual risks.

Therapy is also an important resource for supporting your mental health during perimenopause, or any time you feel you need extra support.

Finding Validation for a New Reality

Dr. Moole’s advice touches on another point in the Bonafide and ThisIsMenopause surveys. Many women don’t know what the first symptoms of menopause look and feel like, and few have support structures where they feel safe discussing them.

This lack of support leaves many women searching for validation of their new symptoms.

Dr. Moole suggests connecting with online resources like The Menopause Society’s Find a Provider tool and fact sheets for education, but still recommends connecting with other women going through similar experiences for validation.

Bonafide survey respondents agreed:

62 percent said the most important benefit of connecting with other women was “realizing they’re not imagining” perimenopause symptoms.
39 percent said “affirmation is the single most valuable outcome” of speaking with other women about perimenopause.

“One honest conversation with one other woman beats a dozen articles,” Dr. Moole said.

Sources