September is Suicide Awareness Month. Not only do the leaves change color in September, but kids go back to school, schedules become filled with activities, meals are eaten in the car on the way to soccer practice, and feelings of overwhelm and loneliness can set in. September is a period of change. And for my friend, and many other women, sudden change—no matter how prepared you think you are—can be jolting to the system.

Studies estimate that 45–70% of women experience depressive symptoms during perimenopause, compared with roughly 25–30% of premenopausal women. One small study even found that the risk of depression was 14 times higher during the two years leading up to menopause than during the preceding three decades. No wonder so many of us feel like we're losing our minds.