If you have an anxiety disorder, any other mental illness (or are a woman), do you experience increased anxiety the week before you get your period?

I know I do! So that means you are not alone and I went on a search to see what kinds of information I could find about this.

For me, this wasn’t something I had even noticed was happening until my anxiety disorder and panic attacks lessened. I’ve been doing really well for over 6 months now, well enough that I don’t have daily anxiety or weekly (or even monthly) panic attacks. I’ve tracked my menstrual cycle for about 3 years now (I use OvuView app on my Android phone) and over the last few months I’ve been noticing something….

When I start to get super anxious, in a way that seems irrational to how I’ve been managing and reacting lately, it kind of gives me a clue that something else is up. Like I said, my anxiety is manageable now but as an example, last weekend my husband and I were out shopping for sandals for our toddler for the summer. Totally normal, we had just gotten paid so there were no money anxieties coming up but there were 3 or 4 times I had to stop in the stores and breath through the tightness in my chest. I eventually had to say, “Okay, I need to go home now.” Because I just felt overwhelmed and unable to handle it.

As we were walking out of the store, I opened the OvuView app and saw I was on cycle day 25. Ding! Ding! Ding! I showed my husband and said, “This is why I’m being like this today!”

Menstruation leads to a number of hormonal changes that can cause physical and emotional effects that may contribute to anxiety. There is no single reason for this anxiety, but multiple factors probably are at work, says Charles Goodstein, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University Langone Medical Center.

Fluctuations in powerful hormones that regulate menstruation, such as estrogen and progesterone, can affect your appetite, digestion, and energy levels, all of which can, in turn, affect your mood. “This may have an impact on psychological functioning,” notes Dr. Goodstein. Additionally, women who have had difficult periods in the past, due to intense cramping or heavy bleeding, may worry about recurrent pain and discomfort prior to menstruation, and this can also cause added anxiety, says Goodstein. Via Everyday Health

It makes perfect sense to me, really. Most mental illnesses and anxieties stem from chemicals and hormones. Your menstrual cycle is all about fluctuating hormones! But it can be hard to find information about. I’ve seen a few articles talk about a specific type of PMS called PMS A(Anxiety) but I haven’t found that listed on any medical sites that I know. Some sights seem to lump it in with PMDD.

PMS associated anxiety does not get the coverage or publicity that the PMS associated depression and rage get but this anxiety can be debilitating and lead to panic attacks. Via The Period Vitamin

Hormonal anxiety, PMS anxiety, and menstrual anxiety are, of course, specific to women, and are often an exacerbation of a more formal anxiety problem such as generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder. Just as PMS and PMDD can make depression, migraines, and other conditions worse, they can also make anxiety and panic attacks worse. Via PMSComfort

The two above quotes are pulled from this article and this article and are the best resources I’ve found on this topic right now.

What can you do about this kind of anxiety?

I think the first step is to start tracking your menstrual cycle. There are all kinds of ways to do this and you can get super specific and check your cervical mucus or the angle of your cervix. That’s usually most helpful if you’re trying to conceive. All you really need is to start tracking when you get your actual period. Even if you aren’t super regular (I am not at all), you’ll get an average and you’ll get a feel for what it’s like around each week of your cycle. Get an app or just use a paper calender and start tracking. Knowledge is power. Once I noticed why my anxiety levels were higher, they decreased a bit. It didn’t go away completely, but knowing the hormonal reason behind it made me go easier on myself and understand what was happening.

Be extra kind to yourself the week(s) your anxiety worsen due to your cycle. If you are already on medication, keep taking it. But allow yourself some extra self care time, watch more tv than normal, eat some ice cream. Don’t push yourself to your limits if you don’t have to.

I’ll suggest keeping up on your exercise and eating healthy, but just like any mental illness, we can’t always do what the doctors say we “should”.

Look up some yoga for anxiety or yoga for pms.

Check out this article that talks about the different “types” of pms. It might help you figure out how best to address your symptoms in a more kind and productive way.

Update: I just listened to a podcast and wanted to share. Anxiety Slayer: Anxiety Made Worse by PMS

I hope PMS related anxiety and an increase in your anxiety disorder during your menstrual cycle is something that gets talked about more. It can be hard to find women with experiences or medical articles about this so I wanted to share some of what I’ve found and experienced.

Share: What kind of symptoms do you get during PMS? Does your anxieties feel extra strong? Share your story below and let other women know they aren’t alone in their experiences!