ANXIETY: WHY WOMEN 40+ FEEL ITS EFFECTS MORE STRONGLY

Social media is abuzz with real-life tales of perimenopausal angst. Doctors explain what's going on—and how to get relief

- BY ISABELLE PAQUETTE

WHEN PEOPLE THINK of perimenopause, they picture hot flashes, mood swings or irregular periods. But for many women, one of the most disruptive and least talked about symptoms is extreme anxiety. We're not talking occasional worry or nervousness, but an overwhelming, irrational sense of dread that can strike at any time. This anxiety leaves many women feeling isolated and confused about what’s happening to them.

But recent Reddit threads are bringing the issue into the spotlight. Hundreds of women are opening up on the social media platform about their experiences, sharing their struggles and offering advice on how they've managed to cope. One user captured the overwhelming nature of anxiety in a post that quickly gained traction. “I'm perimenopausal and my anxiety has gone through the roof,” she wrote. “And I don’t mean typical everyday anxiety. I mean, all of a sudden, I’m worrying about things that make no sense. I feel insane. Someone please commiserate.”

Her words resonated with hundreds of women, many of whom shared their own battles with heightened anxiety. One user, a yoga and meditation teacher, admitted that even her tried-and-true relaxation techniques stopped working. “I would stand on my yoga mat in tears. All the coping skills I had were useless, which proved to me that my body was changing in a significant way.” Like many others, she found relief through hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

What causes anxiety in perimenopause?