This article explores the reasons behind the increased anxiety many people experience during their menstrual cycle. It discusses the hormonal fluctuations that contribute to this phenomenon and offers advice on managing period-related anxiety.
This story first appeared in SELF. When my period comes around, I transform into a nervous, jittery version of myself. I worry I’m not working hard enough, I suck at writing, or I said something off-putting or offensive to my friends and family members. I’m not alone. While most people equate PMS with food cravings and cramps, evidence suggests 64% of those who menstruate feel extra anxious during That Time Of The Month. (As if bleeding for a week straight wasn’t frustrating enough.
) Joshua Klein, MD, FACOG, a reproductive endocrinologist and cofounder of Extend Fertility in New York City, tells SELF that this anxiety spike is a very common biological response to a whole host of physiological changes going down in your body, including the free fall of various sex hormones and neurotransmitters, research shows. “You’re not crazy, it’s a real thing,” he says. We asked three health experts for the best ways to cope with brutal anxiety spells before and during your period. Here’s what they said. Take a look at your birth control. The reason you feel so edgy as your flow nears? Plunging hormones, Dr. Klein says. “A week before your period arrives, progesterone and estrogen are falling, and that’s what provokes most premenstrual symptoms,” he notes. Basically, your brain has a ton of hormone receptors, and as hormone levels fluctuate during your cycle, they can affect the production of GABA, serotonin, and dopamine (a.k.a. the neurotransmitters responsible for keeping you relatively calm and stress-free). One way to ensure your progesterone and estrogen don’t ebb and flow so drastically is to take a combination oral contraceptive (like drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol, YAZ is a common type), says Dr. Klein, meaning it contains both estrogen and progestin. Pairing these two hormones together in a pill helps prevent ovulation, thereby stabilizing hormone levels and mood swings, research show
MENSTRUAL CYCLE ANXIETY HORMONES PMS BIRTH CONTROL
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