Hi,
I'm so glad you included this topic. Didn't know anxiety was so common in peri- and regular menopause! Now I feel I'm not all alone in this experience.
A few weeks ago, I came down with a terrible case of the flu and had my period at the same time. Along with my crazy hormones, I was completely exhausted and unable to take care of simple everyday things. I missed a week of work and had terrible anxiety upon returning - still didn't feel up to snuff and was feeling miserably ill. Most of my anxiety was about feeling overwhelmed and not able to perform up to normal levels. Of course, my hormones and fears took this to a new level and I got anxious about being anxious as well. The worst!

It was really hard, but I managed to take one step at a time and prioritize things to minimize the pressure. Got through the anxiety, even though it was agonizing at times.
When I was in my 20s and leaving home for college, I had panic attacks, but they were much more persistant and worse than this. I'm hoping that age and life experience can help bolster me through this stuff in midlife. (fingers crossed)
One good thing that resulted from my flu is that I stopped drinking coffee. I was very addicted before, and I can now tell that it made me more jittery and nervous. I drink tea now and intake a lot less caffeine. Since fully recovering from the flu, I feel more grounded and stable, too.
Wish me luck, though, 'cuz my crazy period could arrive again any day now (never know anymore!!).
Thanks for reading my book!

I'm just so glad to have a place to share all this stuff and commiserate....
Sofia