Nearly every woman has experienced a period and the many discomforts that come with it. Conversations often centre on cramps, fatigue and mood swings, but there鈥檚 a lesser-known experience that many women quietly navigate, post-menstrual depression. In this story, five women share what PMD feels like for them and the different ways they cope.
鈥楽ex helps me manage my post-menstrual depression鈥- Deborah*, 24
I get post-menstrual depression after every period. That鈥檚 twelve times in a year. The severity is constant, and it affects me the same way each time. My productivity drops significantly; it affects work and every other part of my life. I鈥檓 not naturally high-energy socially, so I detach from everyone. My output slows down, I鈥檓 tired all the time, and my eating becomes erratic. I鈥檓 either overeating or barely eating; there鈥檚 never a balance. Managing it takes a lot of mental effort. I constantly remind myself that the feeling is temporary, and I try to keep my emotions in check. Sex also helps, and I鈥檓 happy about that.
鈥楾he more painful my periods are, the more depressed I get鈥- Temitope*, 23
My post-menstrual depression doesn鈥檛 happen every time, but it is pretty often. I sometimes feel the symptoms a week before my period, during it and afterwards. I think the severity of my period pain impacts how much I feel it. Then I鈥檓 constantly shuffling between being lightheaded and having really bad headaches. I haven鈥檛 spoken to anyone about it, actually. Not a health professional, not even friends. I don鈥檛 even talk about how painful cramps are. Women are expected to deal with the pain, so that鈥檚 what I do. Nobody is really going to do or say anything different from that.
鈥業 have anti-depressants that I take when the symptoms start creeping in鈥- Halima*, 24
I don鈥檛 have post-menstrual depression often, but when I do, it usually kicks my ass. The emotional effects are a lot. I get extremely moody and sad. Then there鈥檚 this overwhelming feeling that I鈥檓 not enough every time. I鈥檓 not entirely sure how it affects other areas of my life because, to the best of my knowledge, I just try to keep things moving. As for managing it, I鈥檝e tried getting professional help. I also have PCOS and endometriosis, which I think made doctors take me more seriously. Thankfully, I have anti-depressants I take when the symptoms start creeping in, but even the quality of my life still feels subpar in those moments.
鈥業 isolate myself a lot during this period鈥- Efemena*, 30
My periods aren鈥檛 regular because of PCOS. When they come, I鈥檓 excited at first because they鈥檙e so infrequent, and everything just crashes down. I start getting tired of the fact that I鈥檓 bleeding from my vagina, and my mood towards everyone and everything just becomes foul. I isolate myself a lot during this period, and then my eating habits also get chaotic. From the moment my period starts, I isolate myself. I also get horny, so I masturbate a lot. I鈥檝e only had period sex a few times, but I don鈥檛 think I like it. It makes me feel like I鈥檓 staining my partner. When I touch myself, I know it鈥檚 just me doing myself. Then my energy is also really low. But even then, my energy is so low that sometimes I don鈥檛 finish.聽 I just leave my hand in my vagina. Other times, I finish, and I鈥檓 too lazy to move.
鈥楽ometimes I cook my favourite comfort meal 鈥- Itoro*, 32
Post-menstrual cramps don鈥檛 happen often for me, but when they hit, I expect my productivity levels to be super low. Sometimes it comes with a lot of fatigue and serious procrastination. It鈥檚 not something I like to attach a lot of importance to. Once I feel it creeping in, I prepare myself for the duration I think it鈥檒l last. My hot water bottle is usually out next to me, and I鈥檓 covered up in bed watching a movie. Sometimes I cook my favourite comfort meal.
