While menstruation is a healthy bodily progress for women, the physical symptoms can sometimes exert a significant toll on the mental health of the individual. This is not a surprise.

During this time, women go through a week of standard menstrual symptoms including breast soreness, cramps, headaches, and bleeding.  Even then, typical methods to counteract these symptoms such as heating pads or asprin may not be enough. Since every person is different, it can be difficult to discover treatment capable of counteracting these symptoms that works for everyone. Without even mentioning the cost of seeking treatment, some people choose not to get help because they believe their excruciating period pain is common or that their doctor won’t be concerned. Because of this, the majority of women normally endure the symptoms on their own without medical assistance.

Hormone changes:

Beyond the physical exhaustion of menstruation, another hallmark feature is the fall of estrogen levels as well as serotonin levels (the chemical hormone that gives you a “happy” feeling) leading women to feel more deflated than usual^[1].  However, understanding that menstruation is not a one-time occurrence but a monthly inconvenience women have to experience for the rest of their lives (that is, until menopause) can manifest into premenstrual anxiety. In other words, women can encounter the start of depression or anxiety symptoms before the onset of their menstrual cycle.

Premenstrual symptoms:

While menstruation plays a crucial role in preparing the body for conception, it can wreak havoc on your mood.  Due to the influx of hormone levels, over 90% of women have received the onset of symptoms associated with premenstrual symptoms (PMS). PMS is a combination of physical and emotional symptoms of menstruation that occur a week or two before or after the cycle begins or ends. PMS manifests as more severe menstrual symptoms like depression, mood swings, headache or backache, clumsiness, and other symptoms^[2].

Other factors:

The damage to a person’s mental health can, however, result from a wide range of elements beyond just physical symptoms. The most common is an unsupportive menstrual health environment that promotes the stigmatization of menstruation, popularizes taboos, and isolates women who are experiencing periods^[3]. If we were to address global factors, a lack of access to reproductive information and sanitary goods can also cause emotional distress.

Looking ahead:

Menstruation is a natural biological occurrence, and public policies that formally address it with the goal of increasing awareness have the ability to end the stigma and false beliefs that surround it. When properly implemented, these regulations have the potential to normalize menstruation. A policy shows not just a government’s commitment to treating menstrual requirements, but also that menstruation ought to be a central topic of discussion in public. The pressure on those who menstruate to hide their needs lessens when communities have more honest and open discussions about menstruation, which ultimately results in reducing anxiety and tension. We can make great progress toward improving the mental health of women and girls by removing restrictions connected to menstruation and by creating societies that are more accepting and understanding.

^[1] The Link Between Estrogen and Serotonin

^[2] Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

^[3] The persistent power of stigma: A critical review of policy initiatives to break the menstrual silence and advance menstrual literacy

By: Valentina Bramati