Mental Health Awareness Month: Expert Explains The Link Between Mental Health And Menstrual Cycle

Mental Health Awareness Month: Expert Explains The Link Between Mental Health And Menstrual Cycle

When it comes to talking about our mental health, we prefer keeping it hush-hush rather than getting help. We prefer to silently suffer and let it eat us up from the inside than go out and seek help. And that is probably one of the major reasons that we are not more aware of how mental health can significantly impact our physical health – especially in women. Being someone who deals with mental health issues, I can say without hesitation that its effects on something as basic as our menstrual cycle can be quite complex. In fact, gynaecologists from around the world have spoken about the impact of mental health on the menstrual cycle and how different it can be for different women.

So, when I got a chance to speak to Dr Rita Bakshi, founder of RISAA IVF, I asked her all about the connection between mental health issues and our menstrual cycle. The expert shared her insight on how stress and mental health issues affect our periods. Here’s what she said. 

Also Read: Spain To Announce Three Days Of Menstrual Leave Each Month For Working Women. Can Other Governments Take Cues?

According to Dr Rita Bakshi, the relationship between mental health and the menstrual cycle is a complex and complicated one, it can affect different women in different ways. She said that there are various researches that show that women who suffer from anxiety have shorter periods, whereas the ones struggling from depression tend to have irregular cycles. 

She went on to say how one of the major causes of a delayed or missed menstrual cycle can be stress-induced anovulation and can be triggered simply by the emotional stress caused by depression. Dr Rita Bakshi states that even the changes in a woman’s appetite and diet – especially when she undereats – because of depression can cause weight fluctuations that can easily affect her periods. 

Also Read: Mental Health Awareness Month: 16 Questions To Ask Your Therapist Before Your First Appointment

As someone who struggles with depression and eating disorders, I know this to be true. I’m someone who now struggles with chronic PCOS and my mental health plays a very big part in it. So, I request to all you women out there who’re struggling, please seek some help not just from a gynaecologist but also from a therapist. 

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Ritu Sanghvi

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