Well, the good news is that #SharkWeek has begun. It finally started, and I never thought I would be happy to say that. All the worrying and waiting is over. My body is functioning properly, albeit painfully, but at least I know my uterus is still alive.
The bad news is the plethora of symptoms that come with Shark Week. The aches, pains, mood swings and everything else are leaving me quite immobile. I’m doing the Igor walk from Young Frankenstein when I have to get up for bathroom breaks. The shower has become my best friend. I’m craving foods I’ve never craved before, like mayo. I hate mayo. I mean, I really hate it. Or at least I did until a week ago. I’ve threatened to kill at least two family members; one instance was over coffee.
It’s all so horrible, but I’m doing better than I thought I would with emotions and stress levels. Threatening to kill someone for taking my coffee would happen anyway, Shark Week or no Shark Week. However, those with a mental illness can find it even more difficult than usual to handle anxiety and depression during their periods. I know that this was true for me before I went on treatment for endometriosis. It was during that time that my depression and pain got so out of hand that I was the most suicidal I’d ever been.
Alisa Vitti, in an article linking menstruation and mental health on the site EmpowHer, says:
“Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone absolutely affect mood… For women who feel extremely depressed or anxious, they can use a combination of B vitamins to help with the work of the ovary to manufacture progesterone, such as B6, B5 and B12. Women who feel aggressive can use Saw Palmetto to help reduce the effect of testosterone on their mood.”
What most people don’t know is that women not only have estrogen levels, but testosterone levels as well. Even more surprising is that men produce estrogen as well as testosterone. Your levels of each depend on whether you are male or female. For women, testosterone contributes to libido, muscles and bone mass. Estrogen, on the other hand, contributes to “girly things” like your boobs, uterus lining, etc. Having either one of these (or progesterone) at levels too low or too high can cause unusual mood swings, depression and anxiety, along with other unsavory symptoms.
In the same article, holistic health coach Nicole Jardim says:
“The excess estrogen can irritate the nervous system, causing anxiety, irritability, insomnia and other mental/emotional issues associated with the week or two before our period… Also, in some women, serotonin levels drop after ovulation. Lower levels of serotonin are associated with depression, irritability, anger and carbohydrate/sugar cravings.”
She continues by saying that although giving into cravings for sugar and carbs will temporarily relieve some symptoms and boost serotonin levels, it’s only a temporary fix, much like the caffeine in your coffee. You’ll come crashing down eventually.
So what can you do to help relieve symptoms without the debilitating crash later? How can you make “that time of the month” a less horrible experience and avoid adverse mental health side effects?
- Keep yourself hydrated. Dehydration can cause a multitude of body aches and pains, and you really don’t need more of those when you’re already doubled over, clutching your heating pad for dear life. Stay away from caffeine as much as you can. Caffeine can actually make your period cramps worse, so limit it as much as possible. Things like soda and alcohol can dehydrate you even more. Avoid those like the plague. Sugar cravings can be soothed slightly by drinking Gatorade, as it does have a fair amount of sugar. Don’t depend on it, though. For the most part, stick to good old-fashioned water. It’s the best thing for you.
- Eat the right foods. Your mind may want donuts, but your body wants complex carbs. Jardim suggests carbs “like brown rice, quinoa and millet, especially after ovulation to curb the cravings for bad carbohydrates and sugar. Sweet vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and squashes, are especially helpful in reducing sugar cravings during this time also.” Increase your number of vegetables and fruits to stave off sugar cravings. A girl on Pinterest was saying that green beans help in particular. Not sure on that, but I’m willing to give it a shot. And absolutely, positively, DO NOT eat any meats that use antibiotics in them. Those meats are packed full of estrogen, and they’ll make your cramps worse and you’ll bleed more. If you eat meat, make sure it’s organic.
- Take extra calcium and magnesium. Deficiency in magnesium can be detrimental to your moods and stress levels. Make sure you’re getting enough calcium as well, as it helps strengthen bones, teeth and hair growth. A good multivitamin and calcium/magnesium supplements to complement the multivitamin are the way to go. Instead of focusing on dairy products that are rich in calcium (which can make you gassy), eat dark leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens and kale. Likewise, with magnesium, concentrate on nuts like almonds and cashews, or eat grains like quinoa and brown rice.
- If you can move, do so. Exercise can be a great pain reliever for many. “Walking it off” may sound like cliche advice, but it’s actually quite helpful for period cramps. Keeping your muscles working and moving helps prevent further cramping and improves circulation. There’s even yoga for period cramps. Exercise also helps release chemicals in the brain that help make you happier. I realize that moving is the last thing on people’s mind when their uterus feels like it’s trying to kill them, but if it helps, why not try it? If you’re not up for a walk or yoga, do simple stretches just to help your muscles stay stretchy and pliable.
Other methods can include hot baths, aromatherapy and heating pads, but those are all fairly obvious. I’m trusting that you girls have discovered the awesomeness of heating pads and warm objects held to the abdomen. However, if you have any other tips to help reduce mental health issues during your period, please share them in the comments below. 🙂
Thank you sooo much for sharing these tips! That time of the month can be really hard on me and tough on my anxiety. I tend to practice and exercise less due to difficulties caused by that time, causing more anxiety. I’ve often wondered if one’s period can make a person who is normally anxious even more anxious, and I’m happy to hear that I’m not alone in feeling this way. I will have to check out the yoga for period cramps as a lot of times, I’m in a lot of pain.
I think distraction also helps sometimes. I know it sounds strange, but sometimes I notice that if I get really into a TV show, the pain seems to go away (or at least I don’t notice it as much). Of course, this is only a temporary fix, but still.
Yes! Distractions may be a temporary relief, but anything that helps is welcome! I sometimes play video games and get so immersed in it that I don’t notice the pain, so distracting yourself is a good way to find relief.