Anyone else? It’s not exactly heart-pounding anxiety, and it’s not quite hopeless depression. It’s somewhere in between there, with a heavy focus on fears related to getting older (and weaker and less independent) and a bleak outlook on the world (especially the US) in general.
I call these “the dreads” and it’s everything from hospital visits to loss to homelessness to ecological failure. My mind just locks on something bad from the news and “what ifs” for hours if I’ll let it. Helped immensely knowing the sad was normal from the drop in progesterone and the panic palpitations are from lower estrogen. Doesn’t make them easier though.