You aren’t crazy, you just have menopause anxiety

I consider myself to be a pretty calm person. Oh sure, I get shaken by what life throws at me, but after some initial ‘Oh woe is me’, I am back on track.

Until the past couple of years, in which my mind has gone spiraling down rabbit holes of sheer dread for the most trivial of reasons. We are talking full blown anxiety and panic attacks.

Thank goodness Mr. Very Right is trained in counseling post traumatic stress victims. On more than one occasion he has had to hold me tight while my body shakes uncontrollably. All the while talking to me in a calm soothing voice.

Seriously, I would have bundled me straight off to the loony bin!

Welcome to yet another unwelcome symptom of perimenopause and menopause.

Why can’t we cope?

Our tanking estrogen level is the main culprit. There is a link between estrogen and our feel good neurochemicals: serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and melatonin. When these little babies are messed up our coping responses are not up to snuff.

Now add in additional life stresses women our age often experience, such as job dissatisfaction, empty nest syndrome, and elder care duties. All of a sudden we find ourselves one step away from a good old fashioned meltdown.

How do we know we are experiencing an anxiety attack?

Oh trust me, you will know!

• irritability
• crying
• shakiness
• nausea
• pounding heart
• obsessive thoughts quite often in the form of “What if (fill in imagined horror of your choice) happens?”

And chances are all of these symptoms are happening at once.

What do we do?!

While you are in an episode? Breathe. Nice deep calming breaths. Take a soothing bath. Distract your thought patterns as best you can. And most importantly, tell yourself this is a chemical reaction, and your imagined horror is exactly that … imagined.

However, prevention is always best.

• eat a healthy diet
• avoid stimulants such as caffeine and sugar
• get plenty of exercise
• take supplements formulated for menopause

If your symptoms are severe or frequent, make sure you see your doctor to get your hormone levels checked. Then discuss your options for getting everything back in balance.

What if our anxiety and panic is not linked to menopause?

I can always link my attacks to either the time of the month, or unhealthy eating habits. However, if there is no obvious link to your hormone levels please check with your doctor. You may have anxiety or panic disorders that need medical and/or psychological treatments.

This too shall pass

Remind yourself that this too shall pass. But as important, or even more important, communicate what is going on with your loved ones. It’s scary enough to experience an anxiety attack, but it is also scary to witness one. Mr Very Right might have the right training for supporting someone through an attack, but it’s different when it is your wife.

Of course, the odd look on his face may just have been him figuring out what size straight jacket I wear.

Have your say

Do you find yourself more anxious?

What tricks do you use to make it through an severe anxious moment?

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