Analyzing 19 previously published studies of alcohol and PMS, researchers found that risk for PMS risk was 45% higher in women who reported drinking than in non-drinkers. Women who were heavy drinkers, drinking more than one drink per day) were 79% more likely to have PMS than non- drinkers - Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD It's a vicious cycle, several studies have shown that PMS is linked with increased use of alcohol and increased use of alcohol can increase the symptoms of PMS. So, drinking for a sustained amount of time was making me worse, but the feelings brought on by PMS were making me feel like I had no choice but to drink. It was a very hard merry-go-round to get off. I was also very worried about sitting with my feelings and having no way out. At the back of my mind, I thought that I needed that escape route. But at the same time, I was also desperate to stop drinking, it was a miserable way to live in all honesty. The help available from health care providers was useless and my feelings of desperation were just getting worse. And being women, we are brought up to believe that we should just put up with, ‘women’s issues’ so I just accepted that I needed to put up with it and gain relief by self-medicating. Really, I needed to fight for help with my issue, but my self-esteem, because I was drinking, was so low and I really didn’t like myself at all. This made me unable to fight for myself. I didn’t think I deserved help Hormones rule every aspect of our lives and if we are even slightly off, they will affect how we think and feel. In sober circles, I was surprised to hear how many of the women did not start problem drinking until they hit their fifties. I do not think that it can be a coincidence that this is also the age that most women start to experience menopause. Menopause has many symptoms including, hot sweats, mood swings, insomnia, frequent urination, and anxiety depression to name but a few. This can lead to women feeling very isolated and alone and of course, the need to escape is strong.
Sadly, alcohol is not the best idea as it is known to exacerbate these symptoms. I was terrified of how menopause would affect me when it happened, I was already perimenopausal, I was sure. In the end, I had to bite the bullet and decide that no matter how my hormones were making me feel, I needed to stop using alcohol as a way of coping with that time of the month. The first month was torture. I was desperate to go back to my old coping mechanism, but by this point, I was talking to Hola Sober, so I was able to read the daily emails and say to a sober friend that I was not okay. It was still hard, but I managed to feel a little better. The longer I was sober, the more my self-esteem and self-worth rose. And this gave me the confidence to fight for my right to be taken seriously. I went to my doctor and told them I couldn’t accept that my feelings were normal, and I wanted to be referred to a gynecologist. My doctor agreed and after a bit of a battle I finally got some help, and I am on the waiting list for more help. Had I still been drinking I believe that I would still be stuck in that vicious cycle. Things aren’t perfect, I didn’t expect it to be, but I am not making my situation worse by adding alcohol to the mix anymore. I would say to any Woman reading this, that you don’t ever have to put up with things because they are a ‘woman’s issue’. There is lots of help there now. But the very first thing that you can do to help yourself is to stay sober. Alcohol gives you a short release for a very short amount of time but the negative repercussions last much longer.
Happy Holidays Everyone, Love Beth xxx
HOLA SOBER | MADRID
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