AceShowbiz - Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow recently laid bare her experiences with menopause during a conversation with Dr. Mary Clare Haver, a board-certified OB-GYN and author of the New York Times bestseller The New Menopause.

During the March 4 episode of the Goop podcast, Paltrow confessed, "I feel like I've been in it for years," referring to the unpredictability and chaos of her symptoms.

The challenges Paltrow faced became worse during the January wildfires in Los Angeles. While she and her husband Brad Falchuk were safe, the emotional toll was significant. Many of their close friends lost everything, and Paltrow turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. "I think I drank every night," she admitted. "I was medicating."

Reflecting on that period, Paltrow shared the direct impact of her nightly drinking on her menopause symptoms, particularly insomnia and anxiety. "Normally, now at this point, I don't drink a lot at all. Maybe I'll have one drink a week. My symptoms were completely out of control. It was the first time I really noticed, like, causation in that way," she revealed.

Dr. Haver confirmed this observation, noting that many of her patients have experienced similar disruptions. "Lots of my patients say the same thing. Their hot flashes are horrible and they see sleep disruption when they drink," she said.

The insomnia Paltrow endured was particularly severe. "I've always been a real sleeper," she said, but after entering menopause, her nights were plagued with restlessness.

"I would wake up [and] get crushed with anxiety, which I've never had in my life. And I would lie in bed thinking about every mistake I've ever made, every person's feelings I ever hurt. I would be up, like, for six hours. It was crazy."

Hopeful that she is emerging from this difficult phase, Paltrow continues to navigate the complexities of menopause. Dr. Haver labeled this period as the "zone of hormonal chaos," which can last for years, making it "completely unpredictable" and a mental challenge for many women.