Anxiety and Menopause

As a woman enters perimenopasue, the period just before the actual state of menopause, she may experience a number of side effects. One of the most unreasonable of these side effects is anxiety; that pervasive feeling that something bad is about to happen. Fortunately, there is something that can be done.

The Symptoms of Anxiety

Usually anxiety is caused by a particular situation or fear, though not always will it have such a clearly identifiable source. The symptoms indicating anxiety can be both physical and emotional. Trembling and twitching are just some of the physical symptoms of anxiety. Others symptoms can include a shaking feeling or a fullness in the throat or chest, breathlessness or a rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness or dizziness, sweating or the inability to feel warm, clammy hands, and a heightened startle reflex indicated most often by an agitated state. Muscle tension, aches, or soreness and fatigue can all contribute to a general weariness. Also sleep problems may arise and include the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, early waking, or restlessness and a generally unsatisfying sleep period which is usually indicated by feeling tired after what seemed the proper amount of sleep.
On the other hand the emotional symptoms of anxiety can diagnosed by feelings of restlessness, irritability, or a sense of being on edge. Other symptoms can include excessive worrying such as maybe a fear that something bad is going to happen; even a sense of impending doom. If you find you have the inability to concentrate, find yourself temporarily lost in thought or conversation and are plagued with constant feelings of sadness, relax because there is help.

Strategies for Coping with Anxiety
Often anxiety can be dealt with effectively and quickly, because you are the best healthcare provider for anxiety treatment. The first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem with anxiety. The next step is to learn to identify what the physical and emotional symptoms you specifically experience when beset by problems of anxiety.

After, you can begin to develop strategies that you will take a personal responsibility so that you can eliminate the power anxiety is maintaining over your person life. Once you have recognized the anxiety symptoms specific to you, here are some tips you can use to develop a plan to fight anxiety.

First off, recognize the situation and accept your anxiety about specific fears; whether they are a situation, a problem, a friend or terror about anything or anyone you encounter in your life. Secondly, don’t struggle about the past or get locked up in trying to solve problems that are either unsolvable or have no benefit in being resolved. The next and one of the most extremely important steps is to remember to be good to your physical self. Exercise is a great way to show you how much you care about you. A healthy and frequent exercise program has been widely shown to be a great method of combating anxiety.

Also consider massage and relaxation techniques. Massage is a great way to feel connected to another human being along with physically removing the pockets and weights of anxiety we have a tendency to carry about as we journey through our days and years. With relaxation techniques, try to determine your stressors and then find methods for either removing or living with them. Therapy can be a wonderful tool for teaching you how to not just live with stress but how to effectively manage stressful stimulus in your life.

Remember to check in with your sleeping ‘you’. Are you satisfied with your sleep regimen? Is it rewarding you with a rested feeling at the end of each night? If not, find our what is wrong. And it might be a good time to cut down or out on caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, and nicotine like you’ve been meaning to. Pursue enjoyable activities that fully engage your mind and develop a reasonable plan for your days. Make sure that you are part of healthy, reliable social groups that can comfort, support, and inspire you. Make sure to have a good friend or anxiety support group to talk to about your concerns. Lastly, journaling is a great way to keep a record of your state of being. Often it helps you to articulate what you have possibly had trouble articulating - which in and of itself, could be a key to the cause of your anxiety.

The Truth
One of the cornerstones of anxiety and how it develops a hold on your life can often be found in the simple concept of truth. If something is nagging, worrying, and tugging at you, chances are it may be something that needs to be resolved.

The Menopausal Woman
As a woman enters this next phase of her life with the goal of attaining a post-menopausal state, she can be confronted by a wide array of menopausal symptoms. Some of these can be distracting, and at times disconcerting. It’s important that she take the time to manage symptoms such as anxiety. It is also very important to manage the hormonal and body chemistry needs of the menopausal woman. Having a plan to deal with the side effects of perimenopause will help alleviate some of the doubt and concern which may be the cause of or exacerbating the anxiety. It is believed, for instance, for Black Cohosh to be effective in treating the side effects of menopause including night sweats, hot flashes and depression/anxiety. A high quality herbal supplement containing Black Cohosh Root extract in doses of approximately 50 mg may help you on your journey to overcoming anxiety. In conclusion it pays to maintain awareness with respect to the symptoms and causes you will be experiencing during menopause.

You don’t have allow something such as anxiety, an easily treatable ailment, to maintain dominance over your life.

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