That's awfully sweet of you to say Lifeasweknowit, we all just try to get by!
For me so many of the symptoms you describe have become progressively worse as years have gone by but with some they have improved. It's a real journey! Some things we can do something about; little changes, in diet, exercise, mental management, attitude, whatever works for us. Other things are more difficult or impossible to manage or change and for these things acceptance and a ‘living for the day' sort of attitude helps me.
I am inordinately lucky in that thus far hormone change has not affected my mental health. It's not that I don't get totally naffed off on occasions when plans are spoilt, or when I'm trapped in constant migraine etc but it seems I'm inordinately resilient and positive and seem able to block out the bad and see the good. Of course sometimes that just means closing down until things improve. This is just inherent in my personality not a learnt skill.
However, we are all different. My son is very, very similar to me and in a hugely stressful job that sometimes demands 14-15 hour days. Whilst our personalities are ridiculously similar he gets totally stressed out on occasions, interestingly not when dealing with the situation but when he has successfully managed it (ie when he is lying in his bed). We have a family friend who is a psychologist who suggested he try to change his attitude to stress. She recommended he watch a Ted talk video, which I'll post below. She explained that some of us naturally manage stress in a certain way, the way I do. When in a super stressful situation with adrenaline coursing, (fight or flight) instead of feeling overloaded, something takes over and I become supercharged. It's not a skill learnt, it's inherent, but I've always seen that adrenaline surge as a bonus to help me get through.
He watched the video and really did feel it helped him. By adapting his attitude to stress, not worrying about it, he was able to better manage it. It's a bit cheesy, a bit American in its presentation but very interesting.
You said that you're worried that stress may be exacerbating your symptoms, check out the link and see what you think! I think if we are in a calmer place mentally it increases our resilience and allows us to cope so much better with all of the rubbish of peri!
Please join us in our conversations on the link that we posted, we'd be delighted to read your contributions. I was told that 5% of women still haven't passed meno at 56 so goodness knows what that will be at 57 and 58!
I send you all good wishes x
http://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en
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Topic: Anyone Else or is it just me ???? (Read 3823 times)