Hi toffeecushion
Sorry to hear you are feeling rough - yes the hormonal fluctuations we experience in peri do increase worry, anxiety and/or depression in some women, and make it more difficult to cope with.
Taking HRT while you are still having fairly regular periods can be quite tricky, but I would definitely consider it later (or earlier!) if there is no medical reason why you should not do so. There are many different types of HRT and most of the oestrogen types are "natural" in that the oestrogen is identical to that found in our bodies. There is also "natural" progesterone - again one that is identical to our own.
Some women like to try plant derived "natural" products (I was one of these when I was early peri-meno!) but all of them have to be manufactured, and some of them, like Black Cohosh, can cause serious side effects if used long term, so although natural they are alien to our bodies.
Personally at this stage, I would concentrate on making sure you are in as good health as you can be - do you need to make any dietary changes? For example eat plenty of freshly prepared food ( if you can), lots of fruit and vegetables, cut down on fat. Give up smoking, limit alcohol, take regular exercise, especially in the open air and sunlight if possible, and lose some weight if necessary to put yourself into the healthy BMI weight range. These measures alone will give you something to work towards and help to make you feel better.
I agree with Rose - are you able to see someone re counselling in the meantime, rather than meds? If it is hormonal then AD meds can create a dependency it is difficult to break from.
Re being tearful - that is most definitely a symptoms of fluctuating hormones - I burst into tears at seemingly trivial things and sobbed - something I only previously did just before my period.
Hope you feel better soon. Don't worry about what lies ahead - it may not be so bad for you- just do what you can at the moment and make yourself as well as you can, and keep posting if you need to!
Hurdity x