I was put on birth control as a teenager (just because I was having sex which now seems insane) and was living in a different city when my prescription ran out. I was an idiot 21 year old and didn’t know how anything worked so I never got it refilled. It was like my body seemingly finished puberty. I actually really liked learning more about my body and my cycle. I haven’t gone back on any kind of birth control, hormonal or not, and I very much enjoy my body just being able to do its thing.
Jun 3, 2024
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I was on the pill from age 16-23 and when I came off it I was like suddenly not suicidal and my mental health began to get a lot better slowly but surely. For some people hormonal contraceptives are brilliant and do their job (and extra jobs like skin, regulating periods etc) perfectly. but if you went on it at a young age when your hormones are already not fully levelled out then I’d suggest stopping and seeing what it feels like without it. You can always go back on if want to later! I’ll never go back on hormonal contraception because I don’t want to risk going back, but for some people the opposite is true and it helps them feel more level! (Also warning my periods hurt more after coming off and I have suspected PMDD so there’s a danger zone every month, so be prepared for shit like that, but I’ll take a couple days of crazy a month over feeling like a suicidal zombie every day for years lol).
Jun 4, 2024
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hello newcomer of PI! Dw about the heavy posting, we are real people with real problems for real.
I personally stopped taking bc after being on it mostly of my early twenties. it became weak against my growing body, and it effected me in ways I didn’t process at the time. Extremely low mood, breaking out, spotting early and backaches.
Instead of thinking of bc as the problem that you need to solve, what if you thought of other alternatives? looking into IUDs for example? Or finding a physician specific for your needs, perhaps someone who identifies as a woman? honestly, TikTok is a crazy good resource for this kind of stuff too. Given that sex is in line with being a source of income, your fears around removing birth control are completely valid. If you are in a position to, perhaps take a week off from working and birth control at the same time, to let yourself make a decision. Obvs, birth control effects (even the removal of it) takes around a month to feel, but hey, it could work in deciding what works for you!!
I wish you the best, and hope that this transition is easy for your mind, body & soul!
Oct 23, 2024
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For your skin, you can take spironolactone— it’s a much lower dose estrogen, so it won’t have as many symptoms (at least in my experience).
But also, your menstrual cycle, and your skin, will have changed over the past five years— if you want to go off birth control, you may find being off it feels better on your body.
I went off birth control 3 years ago, and my periods are more regulated now, and my body feels better. Some practical tips:
Keep a journal/track your cycle as you go off it, and remember it will take a few months for your body to regulate its own cycles again.
Be generous with yourself— you and your body are on the same team, and if you get crampy or cranky or period anxious, that’s your body communicating with you.
For the first few cycles, really plan your week around your period: I use my period as a week of rest, and now I look forward to it. I skip exercise classes, I eat iron rich foods, I go to bed early and I hang out with my girlfriends.
Think of your period as your body “wintering”; a season of rest and dormancy so that you’re reenergised for the rest of your cycle.
If you notice a change in your skin, you can start by using clindamycin topically— it’s a low dose antibiotic, and it will help stop breakouts from spreading. You can also try a retinol and a good moisturise.
Jun 3, 2024
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This has become the norm and every day I grow more disturbed. I understand if somebody is behaving in a harmful way, that is good to document and put out there. But as a whole, it seems, we have become so comfortable with recording people just living their lives. I saw a video of a guy working and the caption of the video was that he was so hot, we needed to find him!!! Why are you providing the Internet with his face and location instead of just going up to talk to him? I saw another of two people on the subway, seemingly a couple, having a very emotional moment. How would you feel if you open up an app and saw a video like that of yourself? I don’t like this level of sibling society surveillance. Why are you videoing an elderly person with sad music dubbed over it to gain likes? It is WEIRD. Don’t even get me started on videos of children. It is WEIRD to use a stranger without their consent to get some kind of fake validation. Get a life.
I don’t mean to come on here and share something so negative, I just don’t have anywhere else to put it and it’s gnawing at me.
Oct 7, 2024
Feb 23, 2025
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I’m curious what your brains are like
1d ago