Curing the Crazy Bitch

So, I got my period all of two hours ago. According to Wikipedia, that makes this DAY ONE! The cramping has definitely started and while I still feel on the bad side of teary, at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This particular cycle has been a rough one. The cranky anxiety started on the 8th of January, so exactly ten days ago. I imagine my issues were exacerbated by the fact that my estranged parents seem to have made it their new years resolution to renew their mind fuck brigade and have been blowing up my phone with text messages and requests to see me and the daughters three. I made a mental commitment to write down each of the milestones of my cycle this month. Wanting to really see how precisely regular each stage is:

On January 4 I got what seems to be the new exciting cycle dynamic...a 24 for 48 hour long head ache.
On January 5, I got the mid cycle pain which I have identified with ovulation.
On January 8, my cranky anxiety started, culminating on the 11th and apparently climaxing today, on the 18th with the start of my period.

Today, my spouse (from hereon in referred to as The Ogre) and I had some decidedly useful, if not already touched upon discussions about my feeling of helplessness about fixing these imbalances on my own. I discussed how I really felt as though I didn't know the next step to take. He reguarly pushes the pharmaceutical route, which in my case involves Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).

I have found in the past that SSRIs due little to improve my mood swings, anxiety and depression. They serve only to compress what I am feeling. I have also found that when I am on mood stabilizing medications I am incapable of reaching orgasm. Given that the intimacy which the Ogre and I have been able to maintain is probably the biggest contribution factor to the survival of our relationship, it is not something that I am willing to forego.

Thusly, I found myself begining this journey towards Curing the Crazy Bitch by googling a variety of key terms and phrases:

woman hormone imbalance,
woman hormone imbalance treatment,
leading scientific research on female hormones,
suzanne somers hormones,
bioidentical hormone replacement therapy,

and finally for good measure,

raw vegan.

In the end, after about an hour of content filtering, I have garnered that, I would like to start with clean raw vegan, vegan and "plant based no oil" dietary regimes, clean water, exercise and a read significant amount of research from the scientific leaders in neuroscience in women's health

I am doubtful of my own self discipline in following through with these changes but I have to start somewhere. Hopefully this blog will help as a means to document the journey.

Readings for the next little bit:

Standford Center for Neuroscience in Women's Health

Scientific Report Series: Understanding the Biology of Sex Differences: Report on the Society for Women’s Health Research-National Institute of Mental Health Roundtable on Mood Disorders and Hormonal Transitions

and google stalking the following "Thought Leaders"

Lee Cohen, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital

Ellen W. Freeman, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Hadine Joffe, M.D., M.S.c, Massachusetts General Hospital

David R. Rubinow, M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Peter J. Schmidt, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health

Zachary Stowe, M.D., Emory University School of Medicine

Adele C. Viguera, M.D., M.P.H., Massachusetts General Hospital

Kimberly Yonkers, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine