ocd and irregular periods

trigger warning is for those who may find menstruation talk distressing. i have irregular periods. last time i checked, no health issues linked. just due to probably stress. (i do want to get an update on it tho, not out of any fears but i just kinda wanna know what's going on). i know that periods cause spikes in ocd and anxiety. my current theme started on the first day of my last period. it'd been almost exactly one month since when my anxiety spiked recently. i have had no period, and no physical period symptoms that i usually get like pains. but i wonder if the anxiety spike is linked to the period that didn't happen, since period symptoms can appear without bleeding sometimes. does anybody else with irregular periods experience ocd spikes without physical period symptoms? just something i'm curious about, so i can be prepared for possible anxiety spikes when my period is ✨supposed✨ to happen, or as much as i can when irregular periods can really mess any sense of cycle up. i'd google it but google keeps trying to diagnose me with stuff 🥲

Username: blablablaeeeblablablaeee

Date posted: 2y ago

Wait, periods can cause spikes in ocd and anxiety? I did not know this. This changes some things for me.

Username: endlesshoursendlesshours

Date posted: 2y ago

@blablablaeee yeah!!

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 2y ago

@blablablaeee yes, ocd spikes and my menstrual cycle go hand in hand for me too

Username: Lauraantonella Lauraantonella

Date posted: 2y ago

Hi! So i had a baby like 9 months ago, for the past couples months I have felt such weird things with my menstrual cycle. Yes, our menstrual cycles can have so much to do with anxiety and mental health. It’s crazy. I feel like I’m experiencing pms symptoms all month. So crazy. I think it’s hormonal which I am on a quest to figure out. I would track your period and write down your symptoms. It’ll help identify, because you can have an underlying hormonal issue or something. Woman are much more complicated because our hormones have so much to do with our mental health

Username: JBird88JBird88

Date posted: 2y ago

@Lauraantonella Hi !! I hate to Message you directly on here but I would love to talk more about this with you! I have no children but my period ALWAYS ALWAYS affects my thoughts and OCD And my anxiety. Sometimes I start panicking out of no where and I have had weird unexplained feelings as well

Username: Lulu_20Lulu_20

Date posted: 2y ago

I experience a lot of irregular periods due to my anxiety and ocd too. Sometimes I’ll have extremely heavy ones and it will be painful and other times I’ll have really normal ones… stress does affect the body in so many ways, I don’t doubt that your stress is affecting your cycle too. I’m on birth control so mine is a little bit more regular, but I do find that stress affects the severity of mine. Same with the symptoms like headaches and cramps that go along with it.

Username: spireapologyspireapology

Date posted: 2y ago

I used to have horrible and irregular periods, and I always got so anxious around them, not to mention dysphoric. it made my sensory issues and troubles with food worse, as well as spiking my ocd. But id also get really anxious when I was a day late because I was worried about bleeding while I was out. Luckily im on a medication now to help and haven’t had a period at all for almost two months, which is very exciting

Username: I wish this was easierI wish this ...

Date posted: 2y ago

I thought I had PMDD because my symptoms and obsessions were so bad for a few months in 2019.

Username: EndangeredHobbitEndangeredHo...

Date posted: 2y ago

I have massive spikes, my periods are back on track for a time being however, I also have endometriosis and endometriomas which when those burst I’m 10x worse in anxiety spikes and moodiness idk if those cysts are full of hormones or what but it makes everything worse

Username: LalilolouLalilolou

Date posted: 2y ago

@EndangeredHobbit I also have endometriosis!! This is such good info to hear

Username: LalilolouLalilolou

Date posted: 2y ago

I noticed this too!!!! I went off of birth control a few months ago and then my OCD symptoms started and for the exact week the last two months I have felt better.. I’m going to the doctor today to get a hormone panel test and hopefully that will give me more clarity and maybe going back on birth control can help

Username: AnonymousPossum

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

Tips for managing period anxiety spikes

Hey everyone! Hope the new year is going well for everyone so far. I'm seeking some advice for managing anxiety spikes related to a menstrual cycle. I completed NOCD therapy a bit ago (whoop-whoop!) and feel like I'm fairly successful managing my OCD most of the time. But I've noticed a very distressing pattern lately. About a week before my period starts, my OCD becomes very hard to manage. I get terrified, frozen to do anything, and get triggered super easily by things I can normally brush off. This lasts until a couple days after my period starts, which is normally when the anxiety wave "breaks" and I feel back to my "normal self". In total, I can spend 10-12 days in this awful anxiety funk, which has been hard because I feel like I've made so much overall progress in my recovery. I really try to prepare for this each month and be extra strong, but I feel like I have to break down into tears at some time and can't get through my cycle without at least one big breakdown. I also feel extra isolated during this time, as my bf (who's been super supportive of my OCD experience and am truly grateful for him) does not have the most sympathy when it comes to my period. I don't think he understands how much this affects me. I would love any tips/strategies for how people manage this time, so it's not as disruptive. I know it won't be perfect, but I think I could be doing more to manage this time better. Thanks! :)

Username: Zoey02

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 30w ago

OCD/Anxiety Spikes before Period

I’ve known for a while that my anxiety gets worse right before my period. I guess my OCD does too. I’ve been feeling more stuck or “running the hamster wheel” this week mostly because next week will be my period. It’s incredibly frustrating having that OCD/Anxiety plus the hormone changes. I’ve been feeling like spontaneously crying then I will feel like screaming then other times I feel so stuck and fearful with my OCD and anxiety. Usually on my period I sorta mellow out a bit, especially with health anxiety. I know that the symptoms I feel is just from my period and nothing else major so it’s not as scary. Is there any kind of trick that helps you guys when your symptoms get worse during that time of the month?

Username: Anonymous515

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 25w ago

Hormones & OCD spikes

Does anyone else ever experience serious OCD symptoms/spikes when they’re about to get their period or even worse during ovulation? I’ve noticed some of the worst bouts of anxiety and non stop racing intrusive thoughts during these times.

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ocd and irregular periods

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