Everyone who has decided to start birth control remembers the moment. The moment a few days or weeks after starting birth control when a small thing like yanking a seatbelt without success or remembering that dogs smile to mimic humans starts the waterworks faster than watching Titanic. This rite of passage marks the birth of a complicated journey of new and highly vivid emotions that will impact your life in every way and make you feel just a little bit crazy.
Emotional changes, in addition to all the other side effects, seem a small price to pay for avoiding pregnancy, but they can be disruptive. Crying after being yelled at by a boss or becoming enraged at the slightest inconvenience is not exactly encouraged or understood by society. These new, strong emotions are spurred by hormonal birth control.
Hormonal birth control tricks the female body into thinking it is pregnant by increasing the amount of estrogen, progestin (a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone), or both in the body. When the body believes this, it stops releasing eggs, and thus lessens the chances of getting pregnant from sex significantly. There are many jokes about irritability and mood swings in pregnant women, but women and girls on hormonal birth control experience virtually the same emotional roller coaster. These hormones are produced by the ovaries in the female body to regulate sexual development and changes during puberty. Estrogen and progestin also impact emotions. They can inhibit certain serotonin receptors, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and improved mood.
Lower levels of serotonin production and transmission can make someone feel more anxious, depressed, melancholic, and frankly, just bad. While some methods of birth control can stop periods, some do not, so experiencing additional distress from PMS and other period symptoms is not uncommon. While levels of testosterone do not increase (yes, women have testosterone and men have estrogen), it is very common to become angered faster and more intensely.
Women choose to endure this hoard of symptoms because it is less invasive, disruptive, and threatening to life than pregnancy. While the only way to stave off pregnancy for sure is abstinence, that is not very realistic, and birth control comes pretty close! Some methods of birth control are ninety-nine percent effective.
Do NOT be afraid to be sensitive! Your body literally thinks that it is pregnant, so cut yourself some slack. Be free to cry when you see cute dogs or a sad movie. Birth control definitely amplifies bad emotions, but somehow it can also increase self worth. There is a confidence that comes with being responsible for yourself sexually, and it should be utilized to achieve your dreams without worrying about pregnancy!