I now know what I experienced in puberty was anxiety, but that word wasn't ever given to me, just thatvthe Dr told my mum I would grow out of it, my experiences back then we're extreme shyness and when anxious I would disassociate with my body, I confided in my mum as it felt the same as when I'd read people die, they see their bodies stay there but they float away, that's how my symptoms were and it freaked me out so bad
After puberty and up until peri I never experienced it again but very rarely I would remember how it felt
Peri - wow, it all started up again. Only felt comfortable in my own home either alone or with my hubby and son. Any visitors or if I went out sent me into a shakey, light headed wreck and I'd start to disassociate but didn't ever go as far as I did in puberty, almost like maturity had given me the ability to bring myself back (I feel like a nutter saying it lol) faced with anyone apart from hubby or son would make me feel as if I was about to faint, clammy or freezing cold, palpitations, off balance. I gave up my job and distanced myself from friends and family. I didn't tell anyone, until hubby phoned me one day after about 3 years of meno and I'd plucked up the courage to seek private hypno cbt and he wondered where I'd got to ! He said everyone feels nervous so I had to tell him exactly how it was affecting me
Then along came testosterone. It has completely given me my life back. I still get nervous, but I'm out and about so much now, and lots of it I am alone. I haven't ever told a dr about my social anxiety, so have never been treated for it but was sure it had to be hormonal as it's only happened in puberty and menopause
I didn't see a future but now I'm enjoying it again, I've taken up golf and could've taken the easy route of joining hubby's club but I've opted to join a different one so I'm having to face new people, play new people and just generally be a big girl again !
To add: at the start of peri I was having health anxiety too but in my defence my health deteriorated literally overnight x