Female Hormonal Changes and Anxiety

Some women are more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations
than others. For many women, anxiety issues appear for
the first time during periods of hormonal change. For other
women, hormonal changes intensify previously existing
anxiety symptoms. 

Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of Pre-
Menstrual Syndrome (PMS), post-childbirth, and
perimenopause (the period of time before the onset of
menopause). It may take the form of panic attacks,
nervousness, sweating, intense fear, anxiety combined
with depression, or other overwhelming symptoms. 

Here are several periods of hormonal change that can
intensify or trigger anxiety in women. 

Puberty -- Developing girls experience hormonal
changes as they prepare to begin their reproductive
years. 

Monthly menstrual cycle -- Often girls and women
experience PMS the week before their period. 

Following childbirth -- The severe drop in certain
hormones following childbirth can cause dramatic
physical symptoms and a temporary feeling of
depression or anxiety; in some women, it is
prolonged.

Perimenopause -- Perimenopause is the period of time
when the body is approaching menopause. It may last
from two to ten years. During this time the menstrual
cycle becomes irregular as the hormone levels keep
fluctuating, causing some women to experience PMS-like
symptoms.

Although many of us may use the term "going through
menopause" to describe this period of time, it is actually
called perimenopause. Many women experience panic
attacks for the first time during perimenopause. Other
symptoms such as insomnia, hot flashes, rapid
heartbeat, and sweating are also common. 

With surgical menopause (hysterectomy), you'll likely
experience perimenopausal symptoms after the surgery,
even if you did not experience symptoms prior to
surgery. Symptoms can be prolonged and are due to
the dramatic and sudden decrease of certain hormones
as a result of the hysterectomy.  

In non-surgical circumstances, menopause occurs
after a woman has no periods for twelve consecutive
months. It lasts only one day. Many women report feeling
better than ever mentally and physically after menopause,
due to the fact that hormone levels stabilize.

Hormonal Change Triggers the Fight
Or Flight Response

Due to the fact that hormonal change causes physical
and psychological stress, it triggers our "fight or flight"
response. The fight or flight response is the body's inborn,
self-protective response to perceived danger. 

When we perceive that we are under stress, our bodies
send out a rush of cortisol, adrenaline, and other brain
chemicals to prepare us to "fight" or "flee" the danger. 

The fight or flight response triggers the physiological
changes that we associate with anxiety, such as rapid
heartbeat, increased blood pressure, sweating, muscle
tension, narrowed mental focus, heightened emotion,
and many other symptoms. 

These are the same physical sensations that many
women experience when their hormone levels fluctuate. 
In other words, most of the symptoms women experience
during times of hormonal change are really fight or flight
reactions. While these physical sensations are not dangerous,
they can be very intense and overwhelming.

Our fight or flight response mechanism can become
"hypersensitive" with the various hormonal changes in
our bodies that take place from puberty to menopause.
Many of us are in a constant state of stress due to our 
lifestyle and thought patterns, which also causes
hypersensitivity.

In other words, our bodies may be stuck in the "on"
switch of fight or flight. What normally wouldn't trigger
symptoms, now initiates symptoms and perpetuates an
ongoing cycle. 

Fight or flight reactions in and of themselves are
harmless. However, when our thoughts convince
our rational minds that these symptoms are scary
and dangerous, we create an anxiety cycle.

Anxiety consists of more than fight or flight reactions
acting by themselves. Unproductive thoughts play a
critical role in creating and perpetuating the anxiety
we experience.
 
Our thoughts convert fight or flight reactions into
anxiety, and a self-perpetuating cycle begins. Soon
we find ourselves limiting our behaviors because of
anxiety as well, which further entrenches the vicious
cycle.

When a person is under stress, unresolved emotions
and issues commonly come to the forefront. Because
hormonal change is a major stressor, it can bring up internal 
conflicts and self-doubt in many areas of our lives. All of
a sudden, we may find that the negative self-talk that we
successfully pushed to the background of our lives during
less stressful times is now playing center stage. 

During periods of hormonal change, we may also feel
uncertain about our changing roles (e.g. maturing from
girl to woman, becoming a mother, becoming a mature
woman past childbearing years), which can add to our
internal conflict. 

When we fail to successfully resolve internal conflicts
and the unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to
them, we create a breeding ground for anxiety. Combined
with fight or flight symptoms, it's no wonder that these 
unproductive thoughts create and perpetuate the anxiety
cycle! 

What Can You Do if Hormone-Related
Anxiety Affects You?

Here's some great news! The same tools that you can use
to overcome anxiety due to other reasons can help you to
conquer anxiety related to hormonal changes too.

Research shows that cognitive-behavioral techniques
that help you change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, 
lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques, and nutritional
strategies (all found in our Conquer Anxiety Success
Program) can help women dealing with hormonal changes.

These types of strategies not only help women regain a
sense of control over their lives, but actually achieve 
improved physical and emotional well being! Here are a
few tips to get you started:

-- Focus on reducing preventable stress in your life
that triggers the fight or flight response -- stop the
yo-yo dieting; increase sleep to eight or nine hours a night;
exercise regularly; don't skip meals; cut back on your
frantic schedule; and decrease stimulants, such as caffeine. 

The body isn't designed for constant stress. When we are
bombarded with stress, our ability to cope can become
overwhelmed because the elevation in stress hormones
makes the fight or flight switch remain "on."

-- Learn how to train your body to respond differently
to stress so that you can automatically turn the false
alarm "off" when the fight or flight response is triggered. 
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga,
meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help
you achieve this goal.  

-- Most importantly, learn how to change how you think. 
Our thoughts are what convert the harmless fight or flight
response into a vicious cycle of anxiety. Remember, just
as our thoughts hold the key to creating anxiety, they also
hold the key to eliminating it! 

About Deanne

Deanne Repich - Founder and director of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., is an internationally renowned anxiety educator, teacher, author, and former sufferer who has helped tens of thousands of anxiety sufferers in more than 40 countries to reclaim their lives from anxiety, stress, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, anxiety attacks and social anxiety.

She is the creator of the Conquer Anxiety Success Program, author of more than one hundred articles, and publisher of the Anxiety-Free Living printed Newsletter for anxiety sufferers. She is a Member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.