Studies have shown that depression and suicidal thoughts are greatest around menstruation, and you may have heard that hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can affect your mood or physical condition. Going one step further, research has shown that suicidal impulses may be particularly high at certain points in a woman’s menstrual cycle, attracting attention.
Most dangerous before and after menstruation, not a universal pattern
A recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that 119 women were surveyed daily about suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues during one or more menstrual cycles. There were many cases in which people felt suicidal or actually planned or attempted suicide just before and after menstruation, right before and after menstruation.
Although it has been confirmed that people most often experience feelings of depression, anxiety, and despair before and after menstruation, some point out that it is difficult to view this as a universal pattern. Not all women are affected by menstruation-related hormonal changes, and many feel similar feelings at different times of the menstrual cycle. The researchers also explained that not all people react or are sensitive to hormonal cycles in the same way and that the psychiatric symptoms experienced along with suicidal thoughts varied widely.
Preventing PMDD can help prevent suicide
However, the significance of this study is that it can help women estimate the time when they are most likely to commit suicide and take precautions to prevent it. Tory Eisenlohr-Moul, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said: “This study shows that the menstrual cycle can have a significant impact, especially for women who often feel suicidal, and helps determine when they may attempt suicide. “We confirmed that it is one of the predictable and recurring risk factors,” he emphasized.
The explanation is that since the levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone change during the menstrual cycle, targeting and observing these hormones can help prevent ‘premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)’, which can cause suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Physical and mental symptoms such as headaches, mild depression, pelvic pain, and breast pain that women of childbearing age experience repeatedly before menstruation are commonly called premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but when the intensity is greater than this and interferes with daily life, it is called PMDD. Symptoms vary from person to person, but usually include severe depression, sudden irritability, excessive anxiety, as well as extreme fatigue, headaches, abdominal distension, changes in appetite, chills, and dizziness.
PMS is considered an obstetrics and gynecology disease, but PMDD is classified as a psychiatric disease. Although the exact cause is not known, the possibility of PMDD being caused by fluctuations in serotonin levels due to hormonal changes, brain sensitivity, or past history of depression is mentioned.
If your daily life is affected due to PMDD, etc. and you are having difficulties with interpersonal relationships or social life, it is necessary to visit a hospital and receive help from a specialist. Taking frequent walks in the sun to take care of your physical and mental health, staying away from processed foods, and eating a healthy diet high in protein and fiber can also help alleviate symptoms.
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Reporter Kim Geun-jeong (lunakim@kormedi.com)
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2023-12-17 22:18:00
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