Carol Vorderman has opened up about her personal experience with the menopause, revealing that she felt suicidal due to the anxiety she experienced while going through the health change.
READ: Carol Vorderman reveals unconventional treatment that keeps her looking so young
Speaking on This Morning as part of their menopause campaign, she explained: “I started probably in my early 50s. I didn’t have night sweats or anything like that. I started feeling anxious, I’ve never felt anxious in my life, I run companies, I do all sorts of different things, and I started feeling anxious even about what trousers I was going to wear, was I going to have a tea or a coffee, and that developed into a deep depression.
WATCH: Carol Vorderman says she was suicidal during the menopause
“And I mean a deep depression, I felt suicidal at times, for many months. But I kept a note of when my periods started in my electronic calendar, and it helped me analyse that. I started on a bespoke HRT and within 48 hours, literally within two days, I felt back to normal and I’ve never had a symptom since.”
Carol opened up about her experience
Speaking to HELLO!, the ambassador for women’s health charity Wellbeing of Women, she added: "There was one particular year, 2015, when I started to become anxious and then a deep depression overwhelmed me for four months. There was nothing going wrong in my life at all. I love my life, I love life, so I couldn’t quite work out what it was. Eventually, I realised that it was tied into the menstrual cycle.
READ: Carol Vorderman reveals unconventional treatment that keeps her looking so young
MORE: Carol Vorderman gives unexpected update on Lorraine Kelly amid absence from show
“I am shocked to be honest that an estimated one million women have given up work because of these feelings that they have in the workplace, or have reduced their hours at work or given up a promotion at a time in their late 40s and in their 50s when they should just be reaching the pinnacle of their careers. It has to stop."
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.