I was first prescribed the combined pill by my male Doctor to treat my suspected PMDD, (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) which is where you experience intense alterations in your mood (eg: anxiety and depressive episodes) in the weeks leading up to your period. At the time, I remember feeling perfectly happy with the idea of going on hormones to treat a hormonal mood disorder- makes sense, right? I wish I could say that the pill was the answer to all my problems but unfortunately this was far from the truth.
Over the two years that I was on the pill I experienced some awful side effects including migraines, nausea, vomiting, weight gain and brain fog. It got to point where I struggled to see what good it was doing me, aside from stopping my periods. From my point of view, all the negatives outweighed the positives. So, I came to my last strip, I took my last pill and I didn’t look back. After that, it only took me a few months to notice how much better I felt off the pill. Yes, my skin was much spottier, my body looked a lot different, and my heavy periods had returned, but my mind never felt so clear. I realised how detrimental the pill had been on my mental health and I suddenly felt like a completely new person.
In all honesty, I’m not sure I’ll ever be willing to try hormonal therapy again after my previous experience on it. However, I think it’s important to note that I didn’t rely on the pill to prevent pregnancy like many women do, I was very much in a privileged position in that regard. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t change my decision for anyone and I’m so happy that I now live my life pill free.