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hi hj hk hl hm hn ho hp hq hr hs ht hu hv bk" data-testid="storyTitle">I Have Anxiety About My Anxiety</h1></div><div><h2 id="096f" class="pw-subtitle-paragraph hw hc hd bf b hx hy hz ia ib ic id ie if ig ih ii ij ik il cq du">Perimenopause brings lots of mental health questions and no clear answers</h2><div><div class="speechify-ignore ab cp"><div class="speechify-ignore bh l"><div class="im in io ip iq ab"><div><div class="ab ir"><div><div class="bm" aria-hidden="false"><a rel="noopener follow" href="/@LenaAngel?source=post_page---byline--d7977738aaf5--------------------------------"><div class="l is it by iu iv"><div class="l fj"><img alt="Lena Angel" class="l fd by dd de cx" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fill:88:88/1*-WrjgyiimI6vXpeBBF9D1w@2x.jpeg" width="44" height="44" loading="lazy" data-testid="authorPhoto"/><div class="iw by l dd de fs n ix ft"></div></div></div></a></div></div><div class="iy ab fj"><div><div class="bm" aria-hidden="false"><a 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no"><picture><source srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 640w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 720w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:750/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 750w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:786/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 786w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:828/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 828w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1100/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 1100w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/0*XL37DIHX2aKQlNLL 1400w" sizes="(min-resolution: 4dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 4) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 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(max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px"/><img alt="" class="bh mt nz c" width="700" height="700" loading="eager" role="presentation"/></picture></div></div><figcaption class="oa ff ob nm nn oc od bf b bg z du">Photo by <a class="af oe" href="https://unsplash.com/@alexagorn?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Alexandra Gorn</a> on <a class="af oe" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2 id="fdad" class="of og hd bf oh oi oj dy ok ol om ea on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz pa bk">I’ve tried it all.</h2><ul class=""><li id="c7f5" class="pb pc hd pd b hx pe pf pg ia ph pi pj oo pk pl pm os pn po pp ow pq pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Melatonin.</li><li id="b363" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Meditation.</li><li id="ee82" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Sleepy Time Tea.</li><li id="be1e" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Blackout curtains.</li><li id="b4dd" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">A thermostat set to 68 degrees.</li><li id="607b" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Ocean sounds.</li><li id="9500" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Anxiety medication.</li><li id="1e34" class="pb pc hd pd b hx px pf pg ia py pi pj oo pz pl pm os qa po pp ow qb pr ps pt pu pv pw bk">Hormone Replacement Therapy.</li></ul><p id="b288" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">Still, I can’t escape the dreaded 3 a.m. awakenings. It’s my witching hour. My curse. A plague on my house.</p><p id="826d" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">Or more accurately, a plague on my mental health.</p><p id="1ce4" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">I have written previously about my struggles with <a class="af oe" rel="noopener" href="/middle-pause/panic-at-my-disco-695224887ba6">insomnia and anxiety</a>.</p><p id="b807" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">Although I find solutions that work temporarily, eventually my body betrays me and starts waking up between 1–3 a.m.</p><p id="bdc4" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">However, I noticed that taking 200 mg of progesterone had me feeling calmer and more rested the next day.</p><p id="e7a5" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">Based on the positive impact of progesterone, I decided it was time to stop taking Remeron — the anti-anxiety medication I’d been taking for a year.</p><p id="d8f9" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pb pc hd pd b hx qc pf pg ia qd pi pj oo qe pl pm os qf po pp ow qg pr ps pt gw bk">In part, because I still wasn’t sleeping through the night; and had gained fifteen pounds that wouldn’t budge…</p></div></div></div></div></section></div></div></article></div><div class="l"></div><footer class="qh qi qj qk gv ab q ql jb c"><div class="l ae"><div class="ab cb"><div class="ci bh fz ga gb gc"><div class="ab cp qm"><div class="ab q ll"><div class="qn l"><span class="l qo qp qq e d"><div class="ab q ll lm"><div class="pw-multi-vote-icon fj gt ln lo lp"><span><a class="af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at" data-testid="footerClapButton" rel="noopener follow" 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