I know first-hand the struggles of dealing with uncontrollable mood swings, depression, anxiety, and panic.
After giving birth to my daughter, I didn’t understand and couldn’t control the mood swings I was having. I felt confused and ashamed, and I didn't know what help there was for me. I struggled, I cried, I fought with my husband. I felt confused and irrational for a long time.
Somewhere along my journey I came to realize that my ‘PMS’ symptoms were more extreme than PMS symptoms and I’d likely been dealing with PMDD for as long as I could remember.
If only I knew then about PMDD and had somewhere to go to talk about my mental health – to see what options were out there instead of having to struggle through it as much as I did, perhaps I would have been a happier person and my relationship with my loved ones wouldn’t have been as strained.
In my late 30’s I again started facing new symptoms, but I had no idea why. I went from sleeping well to having insomnia.
I went from having functioning depression to not leaving my bed during the day.
I went from targeted anxiety around specific situations to struggling with anxiety and being a beast of a person as I struggled through. At this point, I saw my Dr. and was given a prescription – a prescription I never filled but kept in my bag for ‘just in case’.
Now approaching my mid-40’s I'm again challenged with my mental health as I 'experience' perimenopause. Peri is no joke folks, it's not just hot flashes and your dreaded period finally stopping.
Peri is depression, anxiety, panic, insomnia, brain fog, confusion, pains, fatigue, mood swings, night sweats, incontinence, changes in body odor - and so much more - for up to a decade (did you hear that? a DECADE)!
Even once we've hit menopause, our symptoms don't just disappear – we’re not just instantly happy women walking around. Some of these symptoms do not disappear or can take a long time to regulate. Even if the symptoms all disappear, after being what we’ve been through, how happy do you think we will be after years of suffering?
That is why, this June, for my second year, I’ll be walking (perhaps even jogging a bit) to show my support for women - including myself - who are struggling at various stages of life with their mental health.
I hope to bring awareness not only to the ‘LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart Women’s Clinic’ at Ontario Shores but to peri menopause in general.
We shouldn’t have to struggle like we do – we should be able to talk more freely about what we go through – we should be known to be the warriors that we are for going through all of the struggles that we face.
The ‘LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart Women’s Clinic’ at Ontario Shores provides focused consultation and treatment to women with mood disorders and other reproductive issues that affect a woman’s mental health.
Please consider donating to help me reach my fundraising goal – and if you would like to join our team and walk / run / jog / roll, we would LOVE to have YOU!