Does anyone else utterly panic when their periods are irregular?

[ssd]

I feel like I'm going mad with worry, this is like total and utter panic. I know its irrational and its something wrong with my mental health, but dont know how to get it treated.

THis is my second period that has spotting after the period that goes on for weeks, not painful or heavy, just spotting. I have posted on here before and received advice from a very informed poster.

BUT I am catastrophising everything, to the point I feel sick with worry, and my heart is racing every time I go to the loo and wipe and see blood, when my period has stopped and blood shouldnt be there. I've had an internal scan 19 months ago for irregular bleeding and everything was fine, also smears are normal and up to date. I'm 48.

But this spotting straight after a period is making me ill with worry. I just want my normal periods back!

I think worry will kill me long before anything else gets the chance.

Please stop panicking. No- this is not normal behaviour and I don't know anyone who has ever panicked over this which is perfectly common for peri.
I did reply to your previous post and suggested you saw your G who can easily treat this with the mini pill( as you said you'd heard already.)

thanks pinkfrocks

I know theres something wrong with my way of thinking, I think its called health anxiety, I've had this really bad since my mum died and these weird periods are just bringing it out in me.

thanks for your reply.

You should go and see your GP and ask for treatment for this- health anxiety- which will be treated with CBT/ counselling- or if you can afford to, see a CBT practitioner yourself. Or there is info online where you can find info to work on this yourself.

The fact is you don't have anything seriously wrong. It's normal. You don't have cancer or anything else horrible. You need to keep telling yourself that, rather than focusing on the negative ( and irrational) thoughts.

thanks, I'm looking into going private, I tried to get CBT through my doctors but I could never make the appointment times and when I tried to change it they said, because I tried to change it twice I was taken off their books! It was quite embarrassing.

thanks again pinkfrocks, I appreciate you listening to me.

You poor thing

You know that spotting can be totally normal though? I've always spotted a week on the run up to a period and after its finished and all fine.

What exactly are you worried about id you have been told all is fine? It does sound like you might benefit from some counselling.

I'm worried what I have is a sign of something serious. I know that is daft, I need to keep reminding myself I had an internal scan and a smear and all is normal, yet I worry they missed something as I'm spotting between periods.

I hate changes to my cycle, it worries me sick! I need to remind myself this is called "the change"!!

I'm trying to keep a lid on my worries and keep myself busy. I know its irrational, I hate how I feel. I just have a terror of something going wrong with me. Its got much worse since my mum died, she was my only relative, apart from dh and the kids.

Thanks for listening.

You poor love it sounds like you're focusing your grief on something physical rather than processing it emotionally. I know how it feels,I do similar when stressed. CBT helped enormously

I'm in the process of trying to find a private CBT counsellor, but I really dont know who to pick, from a long list at a nearish therapy centre, and at £40 an hour, I cant afford to make a mistake! I hope one session does me, we are on a very low wage and I haven't got money to throw at this, but I know I need sorted.

It would be unusual to have one session I think,I had 5 and that seemed quite short but I got it through health insurance, otherwise it's really pricey, isn't it? Wrt choosing someone, just pick a qualified one nearest to you , that's all you can do really. Good luck and keep reminding yourself 'I have been checked,I have had a scan and there's nothing wrong, I'm panicking because I'm stressed, but I'm safe and this is just the menopause' then try and distract yourself with a walk or a biscuitx

I understand where you are coming from op. I am 44 and have had irregular periods for 4 years now. I normally have short cycles every 21 ish days but I haven't had a period now since feb. I am definately not pregnant but have no idea if I should be getting checked again. I went through the whole anxiety issue 4 years ago when things originally went haywire but was ok once all tests came back ok. But things have gone from having periods every 3 weeks to nothing all of a sudden when I thought it would be more gradual so I am now left in a panic again that something is wrong. I keep telling myself that it's normal but every day I have a moment when I think no this can't be right and I should do something about it.

£40 for CBT is very cheap- I'd check they are qualified. many people who offer CBT are drs and the fee is more like £90+.

You don't want a CBT counsellor - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is not counselling. If the people at the centre near you say they are 'CBT counsellors' then I'd not use them as there is no such thing.

I know quite a bit about CBT and can tell you it's a process and takes at least 6 sessions.

Health anxiety is a mental health issue so you should go via your GP.
If you just didn't turn up for your appts then I can see they won't sort any more for you but if they made appts for you at times that were not possible for you and expected you to turn up then that is not reasonable.

Re. your spotting.
Would it help to understand what is going on with your body and what you are worrying about?

Bleeding in between cycles is due to 2 things - either something wrong with the cervix, or something wrong with the lining of your womb ( or polyps in the womb.)
You have had a smear- so all fine there.
You have had a scan- all fine there.
Cancer of the endometrium which can cause bleeding is rare. It is unheard of (almost) in women under the age of 50- before menopause.
You do not have this.

What you have is hormonal. You need to see your dr and ask for treatment for this.

It depends where you live as to how much they charge ime,40-45 is the going rate where I live too.

I think it depends on what you mean by CBT.

Most people who are properly qualified CBT practitioners are postgraduates and often psychiatrists. Some nurses have been trained in the NHS.

Counselling is totally different to CBT and yes, £45 is about the average for that.

The counsellors dont look like CBT trained, they are more general counsellors and the one I'd like to go to has experience in dealing with anxiety at the top of her list of things she is experienced in, TBH, I think I need someone else's point of view, maybe not full blown CBT, but I dont know. This counsellor is also trained in grief issues, which I know I still have. The CBT the dr referred me to just didn't seem very people centred, they sent me two letters with an appointment for a phone consultation for 20 minutes, for when I was at work and I immediately phoned them and said can I change my appointment and they said we'll send you another one, without letting me ask about making an appointment, apparently its by letter only, so when I got the next appointment for a time and phone consultation for 20 minutes right in the middle of my work again I phoned to say I couldn't make it so then next letter sent said I was taken off their books. I work on a shop-floor so couldn't take a 20 minute phone call in the middle of my shift and changing my day off is very difficult. I wouldn't have just not turned up.

I really appreciate all answers here and the explanation has really settled my mind. When I asked my dr about it, she said oh any bleeding between periods is a problem, you should have at least 3 weeks bleed free between every period, and going by everything I've read on the peri, periods are very erratic and can come and co at random. Maybe doctors dont know much about it all?

ssd This is the website you need

cbttherapist.com/dir/therapists/ I have looked at 2 just out of interest!

One is charging £100 a session, the other £70. That was in London and Cheshire.

They both suggest between 6- 24 sessions.

The comments from your dr about bleeding between periods suggests she knows bugger all about peri menopause.

OP could you be anemic, or at least close to anemia so that you really are around the time of your periods (so might noy get picked up other times)? It could explain your anxiety/catastrophising symptoms.

I'll check out that website, thanks.

I was checked for anaemia before and prescribed iron tablets, but I dont like taking them as they bung me up . I don't think its that causing anxiety, I've always been an anxious, worried person, although I hide it well!