Hi babyjane - I was just reading your post on Therapy in Private Lives when you responded - these coincidences, spooky...
I have started seeing a Gestalt Councellor, I previously had a few NLP sessions to help me get through a professional viva about 7 years ago but that just helped box up the emotions and move on rather than address the 'roots' as you describe in your post. I'll post more on your thread - but the question of hormones affecting anxiety and anxiety affecting hormones is a bit of a quandry...
I just booked one swimming lesson to see how I got on, and am going to practice before I book another, one a week would def be too much. As Mandz says I am sure you will go back to it. Mandz - art is great therapy, I did a degree in fine art and worked in a gallery for 15 yrs before my career change.
Mandz, early days with the gel then - fingers crossed. I've stopped everything for now, to see what happens I feel like the synthetic progesterone has poisoned me and want to get back to what are the 'natural' symptoms until I have an appointment at the NHS meno clinic and can then try the gel to see if that works for me. I might be being harsh about work, that was their attitude before I got signed off sick - I will see how Tuesday goes, and if bad then maybe HR is the route. What scares me is that they will take me off the interesting projects and put me on boring stuff because I can't be 'trusted' - and although I can understand that it is the way they are doing it that is making me anxious and 'written-off' (crying at the thought) - deciding what is best for me rather than discussing it with me. I'll get paid the same so I should just let go, but it just feels such a wasted opportunity as I worked really hard to retrain to do this job 10 years ago...
Did you have bad PMS before the menopause - seems to be a common symptom of progesterone intolerance from other posts - but it wasn't a question the Dr asked me - would have helped if she had!!
Crikey that was a long post - but is does feel good to get it all out... better go and do something more interesting (remember that programme...?)..
Rx