How does 🩸 impacts 🧠

I don't want to make this post whiny (so I shan't), but the mental burden related to the menstrual cycle that many people with periods carry is highly underestimated. 

And part of that is linked to taboos and education: the fact we're not taught how to work with our menstrual cycle, that we're taught to be embarrassed of a natural part of us, and that we don't know what is a normal menstrual cycle vs. not until we've suffered through years of painful periods... 

Now that that's out of the way! 

Our hormones impact our mental health. 

Our mental health impacts our hormones. 

Hormones drive our menstrual cycle. 

So let's talk about mental health and the menstrual cycle. 

⭐75-90% of people with periods experience some form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMS is often described to be the moodiness prior and during our periods, but some sources associate 150 symptoms to PMS (wild right?!?!). 

⭐ Many people miss their periods when they're stressed

⭐34% of individuals who have PMDD have attempted to end their lives (IAPMD), which shows just how severely this underdiagnosed condition can impact us. (new podcast episode on PMDD below!!)

I could list many more stats and facts, but that's not the point. The point is: menstrual and mental wellbeing are strongly interlinked.

Therefore, when our mental health is not so great, we should look at our menstrual health; when our menstrual health is not so great, we should look at our mental health.