Peri menoopause ...Waves of Anxiety

[DamnedEitherWay10000]

Does anyone here get severe waves of debilitating anxiety especially social anxiety as the ultimate peri menopause gift. Even tho I am on hrt and meds it still comes unexpectedly every few months. Presume it's due to my own hormones dropping in stages.

It bubbled up yesterday and today have this anxious grip on my breathing and socially am in that phase where I feel isolated and unlikable. It truly is a living nightmare.

I think for me it's enhanced what was already there, if that makes sense. Did you have social anxiety prior?
How do you deal with it?
I have to really force myself out the door sometimes.
Not so much social anxiety, but an overthinking of tasks, worrying i'll run out of time, that sort of thing. It's v annoying. Time seems to have crushed in on itself and days seem to last about 2 hours I don't know what what's going on 😅

Yes well said i think I may have had anxiety at a very low level and didn't realise but oh boy it's at 1000% during these episodes. I used to mange socially quite well and was connected but now I'm so anxious about it all such as saying the wrong thing etc etc that it's grown into a monster.

I truly never saw this coming. It crept up over last 10 years and I look back and see all the rage and the anxiety and the slow evaporation of who I was. My worst fear is that no amount of hrt and med changes have consistently helped. The idea of this for years more is frightening, I hate what it does to my family. So sorry for dumping on this discussion.

God yes. I suffer anyway and am on meds but it got worse before HRT.
Waves of it just sweeping over me and intrusive thoughts.

I had this and had to change my job, I'm not on HRT but on the pill and taking a very high dose of CBT oil, honestly that has been life changing. I couldn't cope without it.

Don't be sorry, I think it's a really interesting time. I was discussing with my friend today how, if anything all the people pleasing tendancies/parts have simmered down and it's like a veil lifting.

Are you worried you might say the wrong thing socially because you give less of a f*?

@Bigpaintinglittlepainting Yes CBD oil does really take the edge right off! I need some more 😅

Thank you all as felt so isolated and down this morning. Please recommend a cbd brand and strength and I'll try it. Have tried micro dosing mushrooms and found it made it worse.
To answer some questions...this low makes me feel so inadequate and less than socially that it's safer to not be involved. Have had counselling to go under that but it's hormones meet history when the drop comes.

Yes, it was very unexpected, I'm generally a very laid back person but these bouts of anxiety are horrible. Also procrastination! I will put some things off as long as I can, never been like this previously. Add in a bizarre, irrational fear of paying online bills (where the hell this has come from is beyond me) I'm living the dream.
I'm on hrt already and would also be interested in knowing more about cbd.

@Kneeslikethese sorry you are my twin. Am exactly exactly the same. Its 100% messed up my life. I see so many giving up or moving jobs because of this and I can't for a lot of reasons. Commiserations to you, understand your life totally.

Another one following for the CBD oil recommendation please!

I used to suffer cripling morning anxiety. Increased anxiety when I drive. I have strategies for overcoming the morning anxiety, but just ignore the driving anxiety.

I would love to take CBD oil too. But the amount of supplements i take is ridiculous and expensive enough already: zinc + vit c, vit d + vit k2, statins, hrt and lion's mane. Then due to exhaustion i have added high-strength vit b12 and co-enzyme q10.

If anything, my hangovers have got easier after starting the vit b12 and co-enzyme q10! The anxiety has wained since starting the hrt (I think, maybe....placebo effect?)

Thanks @DamnedEitherWay10000
Commiserations to you too. At least we've no periods to look forward to. I'm 53 and they're still turning up, fingers crossed can't be much longer.. x

I'm peri and just been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and PTSD I wonder if the hormone changes are bringing it out though although also on HRT.

I don't find CBD that helpful unfortunately but might consider medical cannabis although wonder what the teens would think! It's horrible

Yes.

i got anti anxiety meds. They helped.

Sorry we are all in it together. I love my kids to death bit hate I've foisted this on them.

Do you get a feeling like you're in the dentist's waiting room about to have a root canal? Like a horrible swirling feeling in your stomach and a weird sense of before and after, except the event will be something that wouldn't have bothered you before. So for example you find yourself thinking about a forthcoming trip somewhere nice but you have to get through a meeting with a difficult client first. Or a new item arriving that you're looking forward to but you have to drive to a strange town for something and you have to deal with that before you can enjoy the item because it's first? Or you will look back at a fun time and think but that was before when I didn't have to worry about x. I don't mean a natural preference for trips away over difficult clients or excitement about a nice item over traffic and parking, it's more an irrational sense of dread and fear over these things. I realise this sounds crazy written down.

Sorry I didn't come back to answer about the CBD oil !

I started on a low dose and it made absolutely no difference at all, it wasn't until I was on 4000mg and took it every day for a fortnight that I stopped feeling like I was losing my mind. I felt like I was being sentenced for a crime, not just getting in the car for a day out, it was so bad.

Here's the link, it's expensive but isn't everything!!!

hempwell.co.uk/product/hempwell-cbd-oil-4000mg-cbd-30ml-bottle-various-flavours/

No side effects and you can do a subscription that makes it £79.99

Sending many sympathies to all on this thread, this is my worst symptom. Will try the CBD but have also found a large dose of magnesium glycinate helpful.

Thank you everyone. Was in a very low place and just connecting here really helped.

@Bigpaintinglittlepainting thanks for the link. I'm nervous about it as am so sensitive to anything I take but will look into it more.

I hope everyone on this thread has a good week xxxx. Here if you don't and need to vent!!

Main things that help with this for me are magnesium (tablets, Epsom salt baths, green vegetables, chocoate) and also (hate to be someone who goes on about them) I just discovered Lions Mane gummies in Holland and Barrett. They seem to help me stay focused and therefore distracted from anxiety.

Also walking lots / fresh air, trying to reduce stress, eating enough carbs (carbs are essential for hormone production).

There's definitely something triggering it because I can have times when I don't get it at all during the same time of the month. Just not managed to track exactly what triggers it.

@GreenFressia sorry didn't see your reply. I haven't found a trigger either, think it's probably some cyclical thing that just happens.

Was lying low this week, still this gripping anxious feeling in my chest. Its not lifting. See there's a new thread about worst peri symptoms and so many mention depression and anxiety but never hear that in real life. Mental health issues are still taboo.