Dealing with a funky quarantine cycle and wondering, “can stress affect your period?”
We asked hormone experts and OB/GYNs to explain why.
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I got my period on April 14.
I figured maybe Id peed a little, because that sometimes happens when I take a sleep aid.
It was more like did-I-have-a-knife-fight-in-my-sleep?
The next day, the bleeding had stopped.
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When I woke up on May 11, I had my periodagain.
Im getting extreme migraines, bloating and spotting in between.
Ruth, a 32-year-old writer, got her period three days after finishing her previous one.
Joey, a 46-year-old writer/editor who is never irregular, was 10 days late.
I feel like my body is dying inside, says Jessica L., 32.
But introduce a lot of stress at once, and it can throw your whole cycle out of whack.
The hypothalamus, at the base of the brain, controls the pituitary gland with its own hormones.
Thinking of our bodies this wayas one astounding Rube Goldberg contraptionit seems obvious that stress would be disruptive.
And what has been more stressful in recent memory than this exact time period?
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There are people who can suppress feelings of fear, weakness, and vulnerability.
[Your period is] a symptom of what youre thinking, feeling and doing, she says.
Vittis plan for mastering your period could (and does!)
Sexual stimulation, arousal, and orgasm is a very good way to release stress, adds Dr. Berman.
But sex is a great way to reduce stress.
If your quarantine period feels like its unmanageable, is particularly heinous (e.g.
This is one situation that is actually fairly amenable to talking about on the phone, says Dr. Minkin.
you might chat through issues and options together and come up with the right treatment plan for you.
The upside is, we are all connected, says Dr. Berman.
Theres light at the end of the tunnel.
This is a reminder and wake-up call and a way to learn how to manage stress.
This is a crash course.
Hearing that truly does help, at least for me.
We are the Sisterhood of the (Time-)Traveling Period, and everythings going to be okay.
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