but I'm also afraid of babies... so I've been trying to decide whether or not to go on it. There's no way i would be able to remember to take a pill either, so i guess my option is the patch. i've heard nasty nasty things about the patch and it kind of scares me. I've heard things like blood clots and rediculous weight gain and the part i'm most concerned about - depression. a few years ago and doctor tried to give me anti-depressants and i refused. i'm ok for the most part, but if something sets me off i'm pretty prone to going completely crazy or crying in bed for about 5 days straight. neither of which is a pleasant time.is birth control going to make me worse? Am i just going to be depressed and flip out at everyone for a month straight?
have you thought about other methods, like a diaphragm or cervical cap, an IUD or something of the like? Not as effective, but better than nothing
If you try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise (most days), a lot of the side effects are minimal (plus don't smoke...that makes the blood pressure and blood clot risks much much higher). The exercise helps you avoid any weight gain, keeps your blood pressue low, keeps depression at bay, and may even prevent blood clots. Next time you feel like crying in bed for five days straight, get out and run, walk, hike, bike, or swim on day one! For so many generations we didn't have the luxury of sitting around being sad. We were too focused on survival. Our bodies don't know what to do with all this downtime. Its happened way too fast for evolution to catch up...hence the dramatic increase in type II diabetes. That genetic trait used to save us...now it kills us.
There are many other mothods of birth control out there that don't effect your hormones...you should explore them. Planned Pregnancy is a wonderful place
I have severe depression, and the pill actually helped. I've been off it for a few months and not only am I depressed again, my schizophrenia is coming back too. I'm prone to gaining weight, and I actually LOST weight on the pill -- all you have to do is exercise, not ridiculously, just enough to make you feel good. That ought to combat the depression too. In my opinion, the patch is WAY worse than the pill. Talk to your doctor, but I'd recommend that you try the pill if possible.
thanks! that's actually the first time someone relayed to me a GOOD story about being on birth control.
Any type of hormone you put in your body is going to affect you one way or another. You just have to decide if you're going to sit around and let that happen. If you don't think you're ready for a baby, get on some sort of BC. Use condoms too....BC isn't 100% effective.
