You wake up exhausted, tearful, or furious for reasons you cannot name. You wonder if this is depression, if it is just hormones, or if you are losing a version of yourself you fought hard to build. This book takes those questions seriously. It explains how perimenopause affects mood—through disrupted sleep, fluctuating hormones, and the real-life pressures that often pile up at this stage of life—and how to tell that pattern apart from clinical depression. You will learn what to track, how to name what you are feeling, and which coping tools actually fit a foggy, low-energy day. With a calm, practical look at the options, including talking therapies and the questions to ask about HRT, this guide helps you find language for your experience and a path through it. You are not overreacting, you are not difficult, and you are not alone. Part of The Menopause Companion Library.