A story of how determined research led to the discovery of the role that estrogen deprivation plays in mental illness, Menopause and Madness will not only enlighten but also ease the way for millions of women now approaching their mid-lives. The author, Marcia Lawrence, suffered from what she now calls Gradual Estrogen Deprivation Syndrome (GEDS), a psychologically debilitating condition that affects women who have a special sensitivity to declining levels of estrogen that occurs in the perimenopause. The book dramatically describes Lawrence"s personal struggle and examines vital new information that will alert other women to the unique symptoms of this perimenopausal psychiatric illness.