When To Seek Help For Anxiety
When your anxiety feels like it is out of control, it can feel like your world is spiraling uncontrollably. However, it is important to know that you can seek help to control the symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms of anxiety, you should speak with your doctor:
- Excessive worry most days for at least six months
- Having a hard time controlling your worries
- Problems concentrating
Supportive resources like Nobu can also be helpful for addressing anxiety and other mental health symptoms. With mindfulness exercises, journaling tools, mental health lessons and more, the free-to-use Nobu app can help you improve your mental health and overall well-being. For an additional fee, you can also connect with a licensed mental health expert to receive professional treatment. , available for free on Apple and Android devices.
Edited by Jonathan Strum
Jonathan Strum graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a Bachelors in Communication in 2017 and has been writing professionally ever since. Read more.
Dr. Jessica Pyhtila is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist based in Baltimore, Maryland with practice sites in inpatient palliative care and outpatient primary care at the Department of Veteran Affairs. She is a double board-certified Geriatric Pharmacist Read more.
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Angela Phillips
Going Off Birth Control Cured My Depression And Gave Me Back My Sex Drive
Im 27 years old, and like a lot of women, I was put on birth control pills shortly after starting my period. If you had asked me at any point in the past, I would have told you I had never experienced an adverse side effect from my birth control. On the contrary, I loved and appreciated it for giving me reproductive autonomy while improving my acne-prone skin and taking the guesswork out of dealing with Aunt Flo.
My decision to quit the pill five months ago was about 65 percent a result of forgetting to go to the pharmacy and 35 percent curiosity to see if my body was capable of remembering how to menstruate on its own.
As it turns out, after spending half my life on birth control, going off it has been nothing short of a revelation one that has made me question why I spent half my life trying to convince myself that the mild mental and physical symptoms I experienced over the years were natural, even when they happened to be some of the most common side effects attributed to the pill.
Practically overnight, my lubrication levels went from zero to ripe papaya and for someone who has spent their life suffering through relatively uncomfortable, sometimes painful, under-lubricated sex, this was huge. The change was so noticeable that I wondered if there might be something wrong with me, until I began to read the abundant accounts of other women whose sex drives were temporarily extinguished by birth control.
Piecing The Puzzle Together
Lidegaard said he and his team are working on a similar study assessing whether theres an association between taking hormonal birth control and attempting or committing suicide.
And experts are calling for more research that could flesh out the findings of the Danish study. I hope that a study like this helps somebody get funding for the prospective study thats really needed comparing to condom and copper IUD users, said Dr. Katharine OConnell White, an OB/GYN at Boston University.
Researchers still dont understand what effect, if any, hormonal contraception may have on depression risk. But they emphasize that even if a link exists, the baseline risk remains very small the vast majority of women can and do use hormonal contraception without any mental health problems. Experts message for women: Dont be afraid to use hormonal contraception.
Often you have to take each study as a piece of the puzzle, and as we go along we get a better picture of what the puzzle is going to look like, said Dr. Jennifer Gunter, a Bay Area OB/GYN. I think its really important not to sound alarms based on individual puzzle pieces.
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How Can You Prevent Anxiety Caused By Birth Control
Because anxiety is considered a side effect of all forms of hormonal birth control, making a switch to a different contraceptive can be challenging for some women, particularly if they take contraceptives for reasons other than the prevention of pregnancy.
Non-oral hormonal contraceptives are less likely to cause anxiety than oral contraceptives, so making a switch from the birth control pill to an implant, patch, or IUD may be helpful for some people.
Another way to address anxiety and other side effects caused by hormonal contraception is by taking a nutritional supplement designed to deliver therapeutic doses of vitamins, minerals, and mitochondrial antioxidants to banish side effects. The supplement should include magnesium, which can help reduce feelings of anxiety as deficiencies are corrected.
What Are Your Personal Habits And Medical History
For example, if youre over a certain age and smoke, or you have a history of blood clots, birth control with estrogen isnt as safe for you, Flowers says.
She says a doctor or nurse can help you determine if you have any habits or conditions that could impact certain methods safety or efficacy rate.
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What Can You Do To Help Manage It
There are a number of ways to manage anxiety, Lakhani says, from cognitive behavioral therapy sessions and counseling to simple things that can be done at home, such as yoga and meditation.
Lifestyle changes, like eating nutritious food and exercising regularly, can also help, Abood says.
Of course, you can consider changing your birth control method too.
How To Manage Anxiety After Stopping Hormonal Contraceptives
If your anxiety is temporary and caused by fluctuating hormones, you might find the following methods help ease your symptoms while your hormones settle down. Keep in mind that these methods may not be as effective if you had pre-existing anxiety.
Take a vitamin B and folic acid supplement
Some evidence suggests that long-term use of oral contraceptives can lead to folate and vitamin B deficiencies which can worsen anxiety. Taking vitamin B and folic acid supplements for a few months after stopping your oral contraceptive might be helpful, as is a healthy and balanced diet.
Get moving
Keeping active has been shown to effectively alleviate anxiety symptoms, so try to exercise for the recommended 150 minutes each week. High-intensity exercise is proven to have the greatest effect on anxiety, so try to incorporate cardio exercises like running or high-intensity interval training into your routine.
Try mindfulness exercises
A 2013 trial found that meditating or following a mindfulness program can help reduce anxiety symptoms.
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When To See A Doctor About Your Birth Controls Side Effects
The majority of these birth control side effects should subside after a few months, but Dr. Roskin recommends booking an appointment with your health-care provider if your side effects are severe and dont ease up or worsen. If the spotting is extreme or hasnt gotten better after two to three cycles, or if your nausea has lasted longer than a week even if youve taken your oral contraceptive with a large meal or before bed youll want to see your doctor ASAP, says Dr. Yen.
Unless youre dealing with those intense side effects, both Dr. Roskin and Dr. Yen recommend sticking with a new birth control for at least two to three months so your body can get used to the contraceptive. If youre still experiencing some lingering side effects or simply dont feel your best after that time period, dont be afraid to talk with your provider about changing contraceptives. You should consult your doctor when considering changing birth control methods to find an alternative that is right for you and to ensure that you are protected against pregnancy while making the switch, says Dr. Roskin.
Should Women With History Of Depression Avoid Hormonal Birth Control
Studies are still not clear if hormonal birth control pills make depressive symptoms worse in women.
For instance, the 2017 Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that depression is not considered as a contraindication to hormonal contraceptives for women suffering from depression, citing a lack of enough evidence to prove the relationship between the two.
The CDC, along with the World Health Organization, also added that the use of combined hormonal birth control, the implant, the IUD, and the shot is not linked to worsening depressive symptoms among people who were previously diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder.
In contrast, a different study concluded that women who take progesterone-only minipills or combination oral contraceptives were more likely to receive prescriptions for an antidepressant compared to women who did not use these types of contraceptives.
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How Does Birth Control Cause Anxiety
Hormonal forms of contraception use synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to send signals to the reproductive system to prevent pregnancy. Both progesterone and estrogen are hormones that are known to affect mood, and fluctuations of these hormones, particularly estrogen, are found to cause anxiety.
One study performed in 2015 found that use of oral contraceptives is linked to a thinning of two areas of the brain, including the posterior cingulate cortex, which influences emotional stimuli based on our state of mind, and the orbitofrontal cortex, which influences behavior and emotion as they relate to external stimuli.
In short, the use of hormonal contraceptives can influence how people view both external circumstances and how they view and feel about themselves. In addition to the hormonal changes caused by birth control, people using hormonal forms of birth control are also more likely to experience nutrient deficiencies caused by use of the medication, which can lead to increased anxiety.
When To See A Doctor About Anxiety After Stopping Hormonal Birth Control
You should see a doctor if your anxiety lasts for longer than a few months after stopping hormonal contraceptives, if lifestyle measures do not ease your symptoms, or if your anxiety is severe enough to interfere with normal daily activities.
Your doctor will assess your health and symptoms and suggest treatment options like self-help strategies, medication, or talking therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy . They might also refer you to a psychiatrist.
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Mood Effects Of Birth Control Pills
Thanks to the past 50 years of people taking birth control pills, we know that many people on oral contraceptives report anxiety and/or depression as a side effect. Up to 9% of women who take combined hormonal pills report changes in mood, said Kelley T. Saunders, MD, an ob-gyn with Banner University Medicine Women’s Institute.
There’s also a connection between the pill, the sleep-wake cycle, and mood. Estrogen is involved in maintaining your circadian rhythm, or your internal body clock. Research published in 2014 in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience showed that when that time-keeping gets thrown offâwhich can affect the sleep-wake cycle, hormone release, eating habits, digestion, and body temperature, among other 24-hour cyclesâwe’re at higher risk for psychiatric illnesses like depression and anxiety.
Birth control may also alter our gut microbiomes, the community of bacteria that live in our stomachs and intestines, said Dr. Gersh, “and we know that the gut microbiome is related to brain function.”
If taking birth control changes the population of bacteria in your gut, and the bacteria in your gut affect your brain, then it stands to reason that taking birth control will also alter your brain. Will it change your brain in good ways or bad? That we still don’t know, because there is so little researchâespecially research with large-enough sample sizes to say anything conclusive.
How Hormonal Birth Control Works
Birth control pills that use estrogen and progestin will affect your bodyâs hormones. Your body makes estrogen, while progestin is a man-made version of the hormone progesterone, which your body makes as well.
To keep your body from an actual pregnancy, these pills copy what your body would do if you were pregnant. When you conceive, your body releases different levels of estrogen and progesterone. This happens in a similar way when you give your body these hormones through the birth control pill.
Estrogen and progestin will stop or slow down ovulation . Theyâll also make the mucus in your cervix thicker to stop sperm, and cause the lining of your uterus to thin so a fertilized egg is less likely to implant. All of these things will help to keep you from an unplanned pregnancy.
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The Pill And Emotional Health
For decades, many women have complained the OCPs cause such extreme moodiness and other emotional issues that they quit taking them. Studies back up their claims and show that, in some women, taking the Pill is associated with a wide range of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, compulsive behavior, anger, and neurotic symptoms.
Scientists from Denmark found that women ages 15-34 taking OCPs were 23% more likely to start taking antidepressants for the first time than non-OCP users. In fact, studies have shown that bouts of depression have been reported by 16-56% of women on hormonal birth control, which depletes serotonin.
Oral contraceptives also affect mental health indirectly. They put you at greater risk of autoimmune diseases and elevated cortisol levels, both of which are associated with an increased incidence of anxiety and depression. They have also been linked to lower levels of testosterone, which is associated with low libido, depression, and memory problems. And low-testosterone problems can remain even after stopping OCPs, meaning you could be facing long-term sexual and mental health problems.
Synthetic birth control can also disrupt the gut microbiome and interfere with the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals, according to a 2015 study. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies as well as psychological issues because your gut health can affect your mental health.
Can Hormonal Birth Control Trigger Depression
- By Monique Tello, MD, MPH, Contributor
Over the years, more than a few patients in my womens health practice have told me that their hormonal birth control the pill, patch, ring, implant, injection, or IUD made them feel depressed. And its not just my patients: several of my friends have felt the same way. And its not just me who has noticed this decades of reports of mood changes associated with these hormone medications have spurred multiple research studies.
While many of these did not show a definitive association, a critical review of this literature revealed that all of it has been of poor quality, relying on iffy methods like self-reporting, recall, and insufficient numbers of subjects. The that it was impossible to draw any firm conclusions from the research on this and depression.
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Why Dont Doctors Make The Connection
Part of the issue is that there have been multiple studies done, showing that there is no correlation between mood symptoms and hormonal birth control. This has caused many clinicians to conclude that there must be something else to the mood swings on the pill. They believe that the symptoms of anxiety and depression can’t be attributed to the current hormonal contraceptive you’re using.
Nevermind that there have been numerous studies showing that sex hormones influence neurotransmitters and brain function. But please, tell me again how it is impossible for synthetic estrogen or progestin to influence our moods.
Then there is the education doctors receive. Doctors are taught that side effects are few and far between. They are taught that the risk of pregnancy is so extreme that these side effects are of very little concern.
Emotional Side Effects Of Birth Control Pills
The primary emotional side effects cited by those on birth control are anxiety, anger, anddepression. However, the limited research conducted on the subject has led to no conclusive evidence linking birth control and emotional changes. In fact, emotional side effects are not one of the common side effects listed for any form of birth control. The reason some women may experienceemotional side effects when using birth control is due to the introduction of hormones to the body.
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Adrenal And Thyroid Health
The pill, the ring, IUDs, implants and the patch all mess with your thyroid and your adrenal glands. We know that these also affect mood.
Hypothyroid women are more prone to having depression and anxiety.
The adrenal glands help regulate inflammation. When function is compromised, this can also lead to mood symptoms.
Are There Birth Control Methods That Wont Make Anxiety Worse
Only 4 to 10% of women who take the birth control pill report adverse mood symptoms as a result a figure relatively consistent across other methods of hormonal birth control.
There are, however, non-hormonal methods of birth control available that are less likely to interfere with mood. Condoms, diaphragms, and copper IUDs are all highly effective methods of hormone-free birth control that women looking to avoid the potential of added anxiety may want to consider.
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Birth Control Hormone Reset
Discover how to get off birth control, kick your unwanted hormone symptoms, and ditch those period problems for good!
In this 5 week program, you’ll receive daily guidance to help guide you and your body back to better hormones. Within this program we support women who are on hormonal birth control, coming off hormones or struggling with the long-term side effects associated with hormonal birth control.
You’ll receive the right information at the right time to help your skin clear, moods lift and energy elevated.
I invite you to explore all the benefits that come with blissful hormones that are in balance. Learn more about the Birth Control Hormone Reset.