I suffer from anxiety most likely caused by hormones. I was just wondering if any other women experience the feeling as if something bad is going to happen to them. I just started my period so my emotional symptoms have stepped up a couple notches. It feels like I'm approaching my own death, my body is full of disease or something is seriously wrong. It seems as if my mind is constantly on hyper-alert. I do my best to stay calm and rational during these time but these feelings are so frustrating. I never felt this way before peri, Is this caused by the lack of or fluctuating hormones? Will these feelings subside after menopause?

((((Denise))))

Yes .. I used to get this .. feeling of dread .. like the end of the world is comming .. incredible blackness and everything was bleak ,, it passes .. trust me .. but It will come and go .. recognizing this will help you.

I'm 2 years post now, and for the most part feel really good, HOWEVER that doom and gloom thing happens every so often and the feeling is soooo strong!! I even sent a text to my daughter recently at 2AM asking if she was okay, because I couldn't shake the feeling that something horrible had happened!!

Hugs... hang in there, and like didgens said... it passes.

YES!!! i have felt this same feeling off and on for a few years but now it is more intense than ever. i just turned 50 and began to skip periods. it is like a feeling that something is about to happen but you dont know what. i hate it. i am happy to read that it will pass. does anybody know why it happens? too much estrogen or just fluctuations. every doctor i have described this symptom to looks at me with a puzzled look.

The gloom and doom thing is apparently very common around the time of menopause. I've been experiencing it for a year now. I'm 52 and my periods have gone from almost non-stop to practically non-existent, but still some intermittent spotting. And during this time I've experienced a chronic sense of darkness, despair, depersonalization and derealization. It's getting a little better overall, but I just posted in this forum about feeling hopeless today.

I'm hoping this eventually passes, as many women say it will. I personally can't say how long that will take because I'm still in it. But rest assured that it is VERY common and lean on your power surge sisters to help support you through this difficult time.

Cindy

yes yes yes use to wake up feeling like someone died and i was going to a dark dreary funeral. I am so glad it passed hope yours passes soon.

These doom and gloom feelings can hit you so fast, then, your left with the aftermath. For me, these dark feelings linger on for days from one initial attack. I feel so vulnerable at this time in my life.

Oh yes, sweets.......I have terrible moments of crippling dread, but they do pass......

Someone said earlier about recognising that they pass and it is true........I put the dread outside my body and talk to it......it helps. I give it a mental hug, tell it everything os okay, and try and calm my heart rate! yes it is a strange, intensely uncomfortable phenomena.......

Take care, babe....... you are not alone on this one......

Michah

Praia,

My gynea and my psychiatrist both said something about oestrogen effecting the nuerotransmitters in the brain.......due to the sex hormone fluctuations the entire endocrine system is effected to some degree, which includes serotonin, dopamine(the feel good hormone) and epinephrine(adrenaline) which is triggered by release of ACTH from the pituitary gland. The endocrine system is infinitely complex and sensitive. Unfortunately, when one plays up, the rest have to work harder to maintain order. So anxiety, brain fog, libido, dread and all other feelings are purely a hormonal response to stressed system or lack of levels in the blood...... Also my doc said to me, that even if your eostrogen blood levels are normal on any given day, your eostrogen receptors have to be available to "pick up" the oestrogen in order for it to work. So you can have as much as you like but if it ain't getting to where it is needed, it will not work.......and so the puzzle unravels a bit more

But there is light at the end of the tunnel as so many other women have testified........can't wait to get there myself!!!

Take care,

Michah

So, sorry you are having a bad day. I'm hope you feel better. I haven't been feeling all that chipper myself. Too many trips to the bathroom to pee, had a urinalysis and readings were good, but, the did give me Cipro for 3 days/2x a day. Between the Lexapro, Xanax and Cipro I have battery acid stomach. I upped my Lexapro to 30mg today because i feel myself slipping back into the doom and gloom thinking. I just don't feel like I have moved very far along in this process. I still just want to stay home. I probably have an overactive bladder, but who knows. I hate the Dr.s, seriously I'm not sure what they are good for except for ordering tests and giving out meds. I know that there are good ones out there, I just don't have the energy to keep looking right now. My periods are showing up like clockwork every 28 days for the last 2-3 months, which is discouraging. I feel like a little old lady and I can't seem to shake it. Doom and gloom, waiting for the other shoe to drop or just flat out trying to ignore it all. it's time for a pap and I am of the age for the ole colonoscopy, yeah sure, I'll get right on it. Is ignorance bliss... I'm not sure anymore. Part of me wants to just go in and get a total workup once and for all so that if there isn't anything wrong with me, then I can actually live my life in the light instead of the dark. I just gotta work up the nerve first. Such a double edged sword for me. To the OP, yes, yes, yes 1 million times yes.

yes this symtom would go in the deppression/ anxiety category
which is caused by our
hormones which is
my daily struggle
i hate this....grrrrrrrr

(((((((((((((denise)))))))))))))))))))))

You are not alone and these feelings will come and go.

Also my doc said to me, that even if your eostrogen blood levels are normal on any given day, your eostrogen receptors have to be available to "pick up" the oestrogen in order for it to work.

This is the kind of information I find very enlightening & I wonder why the estrogen receptors aren't receptive?? Is there too much of some other hormone blocking the reception (like static does on the radio) -- and that uneven static is what makes us feel tired, cranky, etc??

Right now I am feeling like someone has poured some irritating substance into my veins. Ystrday felt same, but went out & exercised & that really rid me of most of it. Today, sat too much (went to seminar, had dinner with Fs). I am not on any meds or hormones -- to think that all last week I felt so marvelous. Then hot flashes began again & feel like I did when I was in the early stages of pregnancy (cannot be P however). I have decided that early pregnancy closely mimics how I feel when tired like this. And some of my periods when I was a young teen. Both conditions are about hormonal change. Meno is just another item on the menu of women's hormonal condition... and since it happens when our bodies are older too & less adaptable, it is no wonder our receptors are unreceptive

I am having simular symptoms.I am 60Years of age,10 years menopausal.My symptoms for the last 4 weeks are worsts than when they first started.

I feel the same way. I was always fearless, now so very fearful. Over everything and anything. My old rep job I used to travel by car over 3 states, can't imagine doing that now. I'm scared to drive 1 hr away. My Dh is out of town for 4 days and that freaks me out. Worry about what if something happens to me while he's gone, worried bout if something happens to him ( he's elk hunting). Worry, worry, dread, doom I'm feeling it all today. I throw in the worry about medical stuff too. ICK, I hate it. I truly hope it will pass and soon.
Elizabeth

Hi~~~I am new to this forum, and this is my first post where I think (ha ha) I may be of help. I have these feelings too. But over the past months I have been able to suppress them with exercise (walking is my exercise of choice) and my mantra which I repeat whenever I get these troublesome thoughts. "This is just a thought. It can't control me." Sometimes you need to repeat it to yourself several times and sometimes you need to shout it to yourself (in your thoughts of course, but saying it out loud can be helpful too.) It may seem simplistic but persevering and telling this to yourself when you need to is a good thing to practice. Hope that helps a little!~~~Beth

hi denise
i feel the same way as you do and some time i feel like its not just when i have my period it sometimes feel like its everyday i have bad thoughts and feel as though my life is over its horrible
but everyone here will suport you
janet

Dear 'salome'
I am 58 and have been on HRT since age 39 and the reason I stay on them is that going off and I did give this a fair one year trial with Black Cocash etc was hell.
I realise everyone is entitled to their own opinions and choice but these Hormones work for me.
Wishing You All the Best
Elizabeth

Dear Michah
What you say is great but the reality-at least for me-is that no amount of deep breathing or mental exercises work for me.Yoga helps but admit in my worst moments have to rely on a low dose of Xanax.
Logically,I appreciate the ability to control ones own panic and anxiety but am not able to do it
I used to feel like a failure but accept this is the way I am.
All the best
Elizabeth

Hi Janet!!
Thanks for your support. I feel a sense of doom and gloom everyday but it's seems to be much worse and persistent during my period. These are horrible feelings. Sometimes I feel like there's a tornado of bad thoughts swirling inside my head that it so difficult to ignore these thoughts. I feel like I had no control over brain.
(((HUGS)))
Denise

Oh sweet......I feel I may have mislead.....

I still take valium......cannot leave the house without it!

I do not do deep breathing(although my shrink would like me to ), and I don't exercise(makes me worse).......I think it has more to do with a long term mental health history and having the skills to control things like rage, fear and so on. All those things I have learnt are severely tested again now. I relate a lot of how I feel now to how I have felt in the past. Even though this is aesthetically different to mental illness, it still helps to have those skills. It is all about self-talk for me. And I remove terrible feelings from my body to address them OUTSIDE of myself......that way I can kind of remove myself from the trauma and deal with it that way. It is not easy and it has taken me A LONG time to get these skills.......it is called "mindfulness" in psych speak. So I am blessed to have been given those skills, even if it wasn't for the purpose of peri!!

I read this book that my shrink gave me about anxiety and phobias......it said something that I was ready to hear. It said "Take the anxiety with you". Some days I can and some I can't......but it is easier.

I am so sorry if I sounded contrite in my earlier post.......in knowing the dread, does not necessarily make it easier. I still freak out till this day! You would think I would be used to it......

Take good care babe......always thinking of you......and I have always considered you to be very strong and caring......despite the anxiety.

Big Hugs, dear friend

Michah

Hi Denise. I hope you are feeling less anxious now but I know exactly how you feel too. Right now I'm on high alert with various symptoms all because I went to the grocery store by myself and found some powdery stuff on a bag of lettuce greens. And this after an almost nice day. Now I'm convinced I've caught some dreaded spore disease.. I'm in one of my more bizarre moments. sigh...


Michah, I wonder have you read Feeding Your Demons by Tsultrim Allione. Your talking to the dread and giving it love is exactly what she recommends. Very hard to do. Good for you. I think YOU should be writing a book Seriously.

Sometime I have such a bad feeling like waiting for the other shoe to drop!

Me too, but Snowy - it used to be like that ALL THE TIME.

So, I can say for me, it does get better and I'm one who thought no way - this is it for life. It still comes, especially if I'm stresed or pressured but I don't think about it 24x7 like I used to.

Denise,
I understand what you are saying. It is such a helpless feeling and at times it feels as though we cannot control it. It is as if our hormones are calling the shots and we are just along for the ride. What you describe is that terrible feeling of apprehension. It comes along with the anxiety and it is such a feeling of fear and "what if?".... but the only thing, sometimes we just cannot put our finger on what it is that we fear or dread. It is also a feeling of unrest and that things are just not right. It is very normal during this time of hormonal flux as our bodies try to adjust to all the changes going on. I had this so badly, but it does not seem to be so bad right now. All these symptoms seem to come and go. Just know that we are all here for you and I hope that you find some peace soon.

Lots of hugs,
mood_swinger