By Deanne Repich, National Institute of Anxiety and Stress. Some women are more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations than others. For many women, anxiety issues appear for the first time during periods of hormonal change. For other women, hormonal changes intensify previously existing anxiety symptoms. Due to the fact that hormonal change causes physical and psychological stress, it triggers our "fight or flight" response. The same tools that you can use to overcome anxiety due to other reasons can help you to conquer anxiety related to hormonal changes too.