I Have PMS *whaaaaaaa!*

Every woman (and every man, hopefully) knows what PMS is. It stands for Premenstrual syndrome, and women refer to it before, during, and sometimes after their menstrual cycle. There are a list of physical symptoms that accompany PMS: fatigue, bloating, cramps, food cravings, etc. However, it's the emotional symptoms that women (and men) are most aware of: irritability, tension, mood swings, etc.

For someone with anxiety like myself, I notice a significant increase in negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, fear, sorrow, and bitterness. It took me a surprisingly long time to realize that my anxiety increased during my menstrual cycle. One week I would be doing great and feeling good, and the next I was a train wreck. I would revert back to what I call "The Dark Days" of anxiety which, trust me, are NOT good. I would lament, "Why aren't my strategies working anymore?" and "I don't even know why I am feeling so bad. I'm losing my mind!" I would freak out, call my psychologist, and set up an appointment to change my medicine because it obviously wasn't working anymore. By the time my appointment actually came, however, I was back to feeling fine. "Oh, I guess my medicine is still working," I would say with a shrug. "I must have had a bad week." And I did. It was called my period!

Thanks to medicine, cognitive therapy and my religion, I have a pretty good handle on my anxiety. But anxiety, just like my body, has its natural cycles. It's impossible to feel good 100% of the time. If my body goes through PMS once a month, so does my mind. But that doesn't mean that I've failed to control anxiety or I need more medicine. It's just something that I have to ride through. Menstrual cycles only last about a week for me (thank goodness!) so I can fall back into a good rhythm. If there's one thing I've learned about anxiety, it's this:

Living with anxiety is not about keeping a perfect track record.

It's about knowing how to rebound once you've gotten off track.

Do you suffer from anxiety, depression, or other mental health during your menstrual cycle? You are not alone! Being a woman is awesome, but let's face it, there's once a month in which being a woman really sucks.