Well I might be joining the peri club!

[Irulan]

never apologize for "babbling" forums are for venting and advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

menopause (peri or otherwise) is crazy!!!!!!!!!! If you can accept it as such, and go with the insanity, I would encourage avoiding psychotropic meds......Work out like crazy, chug warm milk before bed, eat mega nutrition.......but true messing with your serotonin/neurotransmitter levels is really not a good idea unless you are losing it.........In which case go for it........

Define "losing it".
Some of us have found out the really hard way that we do need medication to function at our fullest. There are situations, sometimes biochemical, sometimes dysfunctional emotional ones, where working out, warm milk, eating right, meditation, mindfulness and all that fun stuff just doesn't work. .

I believe that it's not right to dissuade people from exploring all the options open to them, even if they might involve (omg) medication. Drugs work. They work well, when used appropriately. For many people, it can be a short term situation where the quality of life is vastly improved. For others, biochemical imbalances can be a situation that requires more ongoing treatment.

Among my experiences have been fighting the idea of having to take drugs.... and then the profound relief and amazement of feeling better, lots better, better than I had for YEARS, in the matter of a few weeks.

Anxiety in particular is an energy sucker. It's wonderful how much life improves when all that negative wasted energy can be collected, calmed and channeled into more productive living.

Brandi, you might also look into AL Anon. It's a program for people who have alcoholics in their families, or grew up in alcoholic homes. The program offers a lot of great tools for dealing with anxiety and other issues that can be the collateral damage of living with alcoholics.