I’ve always been told that birth control has numerous benefits; however, I hate going to the doctor, so I never got on it. Finally, I made an appointment. I didn’t know there were so many choices—I only knew I wasn’t a good candidate for remembering to take a pill every day. After talking to my doctor, we decided Nuvaring was the best choice for me.
Nuvaring is a rubber circle that slowly releases hormones into your body, just like the pill. But instead of taking something every day, you insert the ring and forget about it for three weeks, which is great news if you’re a busy college student like me. The first few weeks were okay. I didn’t notice many changes; I had a big appetite (but what’s new) and was a little more emotional, but that’s it. After three weeks, I took it out and got my period two days later as expected.
It was the worst period of my life. I don’t usually get bad cramps, but thanks to the ring, I had cramps every single day of my period. I downed Midol and chocolate until it was time to put the next ring in.
I don’t know what changed between this ring and the last one, but my body did not like the hormones this time. I was irritable and grumpy for the first couple days. I didn’t want to do anything or talk to anyone. I knew it was probably just the hormones, so I didn’t try to fight it or blame anyone. The next week, the mood swings were extreme. I would go from skipping across campus holding my boyfriend’s hand, to wanting to rip his head off and then crying because I felt bad about wanting to rip his head off. The mood swings slowed down, but only because I started to sink into depression.
By this point, I felt insane. I’m usually a pretty easygoing person, but now, I was completely out of control of my emotions. I’ve dealt with depression in the past and I knew this wasn’t going to end well if I didn’t get it together. Not only was it hard on me, but it also wasn’t fair to those around me. I texted my mom constantly, stopped hanging out with my friends and I’m pretty sure my boyfriend was on the verge of leaving me.
I searched the Internet for answers and found that it’s common for Nuvaring to cause depression, especially if you’ve had it in the past. I decided it was time to take the ring out, and less than a week later, I was already feeling like myself again.
If you’re someone who can handle the hormones better, then I definitely suggest Nuvaring. It’s an effective and easy birth control option. However, if you do take it and your emotions go off the wall, know that it’s normal. If I would have known that I wasn’t alone in feeling that way, things might have been easier.