Alice was 58-year-old who when she came to see me for help with anxiety. She began to suffer from anxiety at the same time as her periods became irregular and she entered her perimenopausal transition around the age of 52. Her anxiety was significantly impacting her life. She was waking during the night feeling anxious and sweaty. She noticed dryness in her hair and skin, and she felt like she was stuck in perpetual PMS. She had been offered hormone replacement therapy by her doctor, but she did not want to take it as her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer in her 50’s and Alice was not comfortable with the risks of hormone therapy. She had tried increasing her exercise through walking and yoga, which she enjoyed but these activities did not reduce her stress and anxiety level the way they had in the past.
When she came to see me, she had started to limit her time outside of her home due to anxiety and she was sleeping only 4 to 5 hours per night, which made her exhausted, on top of feeling anxious. After doing a personalized assessment, I created a comprehensive treatment plan for Alice, which included regular acupuncture, a review of her vitamins and supplements and a referral for counseling. After 6 weeks of care, she was feeling significantly better. She was sleeping 6-7 hours per night and experienced fewer night sweats. She developed strategies to cope with her anxiety. The plan was effective in calming Alice’s nervous system and balancing her hormones and allowed her body to fully transition into menopause. A year later, Alice told me that she felt like a different woman – she had resumed all of her daily activities and was able to enjoy her life again.