Panic Attacks and Anxiety - Thank you BC Pill :(

Hi everyone!
I know I don't normally post something in a letter format here but I have gotten so many panic attack and anxiety attack emails lately that I was thinking about doing an online seminar about the subject. It is really hard for me to reply to everyone in a timely manner and at length to give you all that you want and need... So I was thinking with a Live Online session where you can hear me talk and ask questions at the same time - we might be able to make some impact in everyone's recovery!

Plus, it would be available after too for people to look at.

What do you ladies think? Is it something that would be of interest to you? If so leave a comment and I'll come up with a time and date in the near future. The event would be live on facebook.

Hugs and healing to you all.
~Helena

The birth control pill is a woman's right??

There are many different sides to why a woman should or should not take birth control out there.

What each and every one of us believe is right is usually coming from some kind of financial, cultural, or religious view etc. Which one doesn't matter. What matter is that we have choices.

I am against birth control pills these days and have been since 2009.  

I lived almost all of my teen and young adult years, up until 29 to be exact, being for birth control pills. I have been on both sides. Hear me out…

“I am on the pill because I am a woman and I won’t let anyone control my fertility”

“I am on the pill because I have full control of my own body”

“I am on the pill because I have the freedom to”

“I am on the pill because it is a woman’s right”

“I am on the pill to control my hormones”

“I am on the pill to control my cycles”

… and on and on…   

The Birth control pill Freedom Fighters have spoken. I hear you. I was one of you. Now, let me ask you a few questions, or give you something to think about…

When I look at that list (above) I cringe because all of those reasons are exactly why you should NOT be on the pill. This is not a call for a religious act against liberated women on birth control, this is a wake-up call to your health, literally. Because I am too, a liberated woman... 

When women first start to go on the pill they have been lead in that direction by many; friends, parents, medical professionals, media, and so on. The world is packed with pro-pill advice. I wrote about this in my last post but I just want to mention this real quick here too… The pill was made originally by men to be used by women for men’s convenience in the world of having sex and not make a baby. Just think about it… “The woman take the pill and I can spill my seed wherever I go and how often I want to”. This is convenient! However the pill was never marketed this way for obvious reasons – no woman would buy it and secondly take it. Instead it was marketed as the answer to a woman’s freedom. But what freedom keeps you locked to a pill a day? Why isn’t a man wearing a condom freedom for a woman? Why?  

The pill doesn’t give a woman freedom. Not in the sense I think of freedom at least. Instead it keeps you trapped to a false sense of truth and security. We are lead to believe that the pill will control your period and/or cycles when in fact, being on the pill does none of the sort. Many pills today are encouraged to be taken without breaks, preventing women to have what we refer to as a period at all – however while taking the pill the “period” is not a period but a withdrawal bleeding. A withdrawal bleeding is simply happening because of the on- and off-set of the hormones that are in the pill. The synthetic hormones if I may add, along with some chemicals. It is not happening because you ovulated and there was no fertilization, like the nature does it. It is happening because the pill keeps you in a constant fake post-ovulation phase at all times and when you stop for a break (for those of you whom take that 7 day break) the body will react with a bleeding, a withdrawal bleeding - not a period.

And let’s say you forgot to take a pill one day and had sex… Freedom???

I call that PANIC! What do you call it? 

Freedom to me is the ability to know and feel the signs of your own body and apply care in whatever way is necessary for the situation. Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) teaches you to understand all your body's signs of the cycle.

Did you know that just by learning the signs of the body you can tell if you are pre-ovulation, ovulating, and post-ovulation. Which is a great knowledge for any woman whether or not you are trying to get pregnant or trying not to get pregnant. Knowing your own body signs is freedom. Knowing your own body signs is power - GIRL POWER. When you know you can apply whatever methods you need in order to feel safe in the sack. There are very many non-hormone options out there today that works great.    

So think twice before signing off your "freedom" to a pill... 

Love to all. 

Panic Attacks thanks to the Pill?!

Yes, it is more fact that speculation at this point. There is no doubt in my entire body, mind, and soul that panic attacks are caused by the pill or the detox from them. The many synthetic hormones mixed with chemicals we gladly swallow down every day do cause damage...

...and one of those can be, yup you guessed it; Panic Attacks 

For those of you who have no idea what a panic attack feels like, let me try to explain it... 

All of a sudden, from seemingly nowhere, you start to feel nervous like something is wrong. Your internal senses are on high alert. Danger Danger Danger! However, your logical brain understands that nothing is wrong because you were just watching a romantic comedy on TV, or standing in line at the grocery store, or sitting at your desk at work, or taking a walk with the dog... Nothing about the situation you are in is dangerous, nor has it ever been in the past. 

It feels like your surroundings are closing in on you and there is no escape. Your heart starts to beat harder and faster, and your chest might even hurt. You feel like there is not enough oxygen, nor can you take a normal deep breath. You are so afraid... maybe you are dying. Yes, that is what you start to think after a few minutes. This is what dying feels like you tell yourself... It is time to die...  

Then, the attack ends. Out of nowhere it seems like. 

If this was your first attack, you hope that it was the only one... However, the more you get the more nervous you are going to be about getting them again. If you frequently get them at the grocery store - there is a pretty good chance you will become afraid of going to the grocery store because your reality of getting panic attacks there are bigger than the reality of how logically safe a grocery store really is. 

Panic attacks create fear and more panic attacks and you truly feel stuck in a place where you don't understand who you are anymore. You have no logical reason to these panic attacks. Yet, you seem to be completely unable to manage them or preventing them to come again.    

So, no matter if you are having panic attacks from side effects of the BC pill or any other medication, or if they are happening to you anyway.. I have decided to do a short live broadcast on how you can take care of yourself in those situations. The broadcast will happen either the end of May or June. To be notified on exactly when and stay updated like my page SunnySoul Coach on facebook, it is free ;) 

Love and support always. 

Why is the Pill being advertised "for the Woman" - isn't it really for the man?!

Hi everyone.
I know it has been silent here for a while... but that doesn't mean any of the other posts aren't still true. Side effects of taking and quitting any BC pills is still a serious matter and women are suffering every day and night.

I was just asked a few questions by a dear woman who is working on a report and I thought I would share some of it here as I feel it is relevant. Her questions were so innovative, I hadn't thought about it in that angle before... Here goes:

How do you think then pill has gone from being a liberating turning point in women’s history to this damaging life style drug? 

This is a fantastic question and a very good observation! I think my initial reaction is: IGNORANCE. I am pretty sure side effects existed back then too but since it was labelled as the new and fantastic thing – you were not a liberated woman if you didn't take it… and what woman don’t want to be liberated?! Feel like SHE is in CHARGE of her own body. 

When the pill was studied, they could have put the effort into making a male pill but they didn't. They choose to alter the woman’s reproductive functions to save the man’s. Neither would have been right off course, but did it happen because back then the industry was flooded with men? I would like to guess so… No man want to ever temper with his reproductive organs and functions – that is pride right there! 

And can you imagine a man taking the pill when the side effects are: Loss of libido, loss of hair, depression, loss of stamina, muscle deterioration, frequently UTI… LOL… I think not. There was no way the industry back then were going to put themselves and their fellow men in that situation. I have no proof of this, but a girl can guess can’t she?!

With today’s influence of so many streams we can finally speak up and someone will listen. If I look at just my story; for years I believed I was “alone” with my side effects until I found someone else’s story online and I thought she was writing about me… That didn't exist back then, so I can only imagine how many women were suffering back then too but didn't have any support system or even understanding that this could be related. It is still being fought today – most medical professionals I have been in contact with regarding this still do not believe the side effects are so life altering. At least that is not what they communicate.

In essence I think it has always been a damaging life style drug, it just wasn't spoken about as much back then as it is now.. People and women are more aware, even if we have a looooonge way to go still.

Also, the fact there still remains to be a female contraceptive pill that doesn't effect women’s health, do you think women’s health is undervalued? 

In my opinion our complaints haven’t been taken seriously. Especially when we walk in to a doctor’s office looking like we are at the top of the world. 25, skinny, active, attractive, etc etc… The problem isn't the pill in itself but how it is being used and marketed. Just think about it – when do you normally take a pill? When you are sick right!? For women to want to take a pill, they first have to be convinced they are sick… 

And now we are almost living in a society where a monthly menstrual cycle is frowned upon – There is a pill for that! So looking back, all of a sudden fertility was a woman’s fault. It was her responsibility to be infertile to suit the need of her man and their sexual relationship. Being fertile was all of a sudden like being sick! – well guess what, there is pill for that! 

A BIG reason

There is a reason this blog exist...
It is NOT a good reason.

The reason is because so many women's lives have been ruined, altered and/or effected negatively because of hormonal birth control. The list of side effects are never ending and I myself took a life time decision in 2009 that I would never again take synthetic hormonal birth control ever again. And that decision also lead me to question much of what is being offered in the disguise of "medicine" today. Medicine is not healing, medicine today is concealing....

Support the effort to bring the documentary "Sweetening the Pill" to life!!  

Acne after stopping the pill

About half of the emails that I get address this very one concern "I hear so many that experience acne when they stop, I don't want it to happen to me". The concern is a real one! And so scary that some decide to actually stay on the pill (!). So many DO experience acne when they stop taking the pill... let's look at why this may be happening to so many of us and what we can possibly do to prevent it from happening.

I am no exception. When I stopped I struggled with acne on my face, back, chest and it felt like my scalp had acne too even if I couldn't see it. The spots felt like they were bigger and more red than the acne I had experienced being a teenager and wouldn't really go away with regular acne treatment options, facials, and/or home-made remedies. Acne is fun for no one, but at age 30 I thought that I wouldn't have to ever worry about such a thing again. But apparently age had nothing to do it with it...

The reason regular acne treatment normally does not work in this case is because the underlying reason of them is slightly different. (Remember I am no doctor or health care professional so I could be feeding you crap right now... But then again - I was fed crap by health care professionals so who knows the difference these days - trust your gut!!! ;p)

Ok, back to what I was saying... the acne you get after stopping the pill is different. Why wouldn't it be?! You (yes me too) have been willingly feeding your body chemicals for who knows how long with the perception that it is a fantastic way to prevent you from getting pregnant. The fact that the same dosage is given to everyone is never even discussed and not to dwell on this too long, but just ask yourself: if you were a 125lb petite woman - would you feel it was appropriate that you took the same dosage as a 200lbs woman? Does it even make sense?! No it does not! There is no regulation, no check-ups that tells you to lower or increase your dosage depending on tests and whatnot... (that was just a thought that popped up in my head as I was writing this. It doesn't mean that petite girls experience more symptoms than larger girls - in fact I have nothing to support or deny that thought).

Have you ever heard the expression that your body has three kidneys? (We normally have two - they are located on your back slightly over your waste-line.) Do you know what the third one is?? The largest organ in your body - your skin! Yes! Your skin is considered to be your third kidney. Our kidneys are fantastic and they work really, really hard to keep up with today's horrible eating culture and our exposure to toxins of all sorts on a daily basis.  The kidneys' main task is to filter the blood and remove the toxins (and access fluid) from the body and eliminate it all via urination. Could you imagine going through pill-detox without your kidneys?!!!?? Probably not a good idea... They are your BFFs ;)

So, if the kidneys aid in getting rid of all that crap... why are you then experience acne? Well maybe years of birth control pill toxins is a little too much for the kidneys to handle all at once. You see, when you feed your body stuff it is not naturally meant to "eat" like the pill it will in a way think to itself "hummm... well I don't know what this really is for but she is feeding it to me so it must mean that I will need it sooner or later..." so your body will store excess toxins somewhere, normally in skin and fat tissue. And when you stop feeding your body it, it will be a little surprised to say the least and realize that it want nothing to do with it and that you in fact do NOT need it. So it will do everything it can do clean it all up and away. This is extremely draining for the body and the kidneys. The acne you experience is two-fold - because you have toxins in your skin and fat tissue just waiting to come out, and because your kidneys are overworked and the "third" kidney has to take some of the work load and the body is starting to get rid of the access toxins via the skin too. 

So what can you do? Help your kidneys!!! Do everything you can to help your kidneys clean out. This means:

1. Drink water! This is the number ONE of all detox methods - simple water! The formula to follow is: 1/2 your body weight in oz of water (150lbs = 75oz) or 1/3 of your body weight in dL of water (60kg = 20dL) 
2. Add a pinch of sea salt to every other water bottle this will help out even more!
3. Take EPSOM salt baths at least 2 times a week if at all possible 
4. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar tea or a cleansing citrus drink
5. Eat organic and natural. This allows your body to focus on the detox rather than on digesting and "detoxing" out bad food on top of it. 

Topically you can use apple cider vinegar - but forget all the other anti-acne stuff that is out there, they most often have other toxins in them, and toxins is what got you in this spot in the first place... Baking soda is a good and gentle face scrub and great for pH regulation. But to try to treat acne from the outside should not be your first defense... since that is just the symptom of what is going on inside.

It also needs to be said that the acne should almost be seen as a success (I know I am hanging on a very fine line here...). Success that your body is working! It is doing what it is suppose to do and that is to clean out what it does not need nor want. So, if you can... celebrate a little, tell yourself when you see a new spot in the morning "get that s$#t out" ;) and tell your body thank you and go about your day. It can make the struggle of the acne be a little bit more bearable.

Many also think that acne is because of disturbance of hormone levels, which it off course can be, but the body is way more focused on getting the crap out... so my one and only suggestion is to help your body with the detox before thinking you need to take every blood test there is. Your time is valuable, spend it on things that matters... 


  

I hate myself for going on Yasmin

I have had a terrible experience with Yasmin. I started it in September this year (2014). Before this I was on Levelyn ED since 2008.

I decided to switch to Yasmin because of the so called benefits such as clearer skin, lighter periods etc. When I asked my doctor if he could prescribe this pill he did not hesitate at all. He didn't ask me any questions about my health or whether I had a history of anxiety or bloods clots or anything. This made me believe that this pill wouldn't be so bad. I assumed that if it had bad side effects he would have told me. I soon learned how wrong I was. 

As soon as I began taking Yasmin I was very thirsty, dehydrated all the time. I thought perhaps I was not drinking enough water. Note that I only ever drink water and ONE cup of coffee a day - I do not drink much alcohol, except maybe one glass of wine a month, nor any soft drinks. No matter how much water I drank I could not rehydrate myself.

I had a feeling that the dehydration was the result of the Yasmin but I ignored it as I did not think it was anything major. After a couple of weeks I no longer felt dehydrated. Instead, I begun feeling anxious and with this I had diarrhea. In the past, I have had very mild anxiety with diarrhea (I now believe this is from my other birth control pill) but it was never this bad. I was not sure if it was the diarrhea causing the anxiety or the other way around. At first it happened every couple of days and on weekends when I was catching up with friends. I thought this was just me being silly so I took gastro-stop (anti-diarrhea medication) and ignored it. After about a month, I was waking up with diarrhea every morning which continued into the day and would re-occur at night. I was having full on panic attacks for absolutely no reason at all. I thought I was going crazy. I could not eat with fear of going to the bathroom and lost weight.

Eventually it all got so bad and I started doing research on Yasmin. I worked out that it was the Yasmin that was making me like this. I decided it was time to stop. That was when everything went down hill.

Monday, October 20th, this year was my first day without Yasmin. I was still feeling somewhat anxious but I was happy that I stopped taking Yasmin and was looking forward to getting back to normal again. On Tuesday I felt worse, having a panic attack at work. When I got home from work I had terrible anxiety and diarrhea. On Wednesday, I felt even worse and left work early to go home. I thought that perhaps I had gastro or a stomach bug (it was this bad).

On that Wednesday everything changed.

Once I got home I had a horrible panic attack and it lasted for hours. I had chronic diarrhea and could not even have a sip of water without going to the bathroom. I was also nauseous. My entire body was trembling and my heart was palpitating and felt as though it was going to jump out of my chest. I had never felt like this before, EVER! I was rushed to the emergency room and put on a drip immediately. I had every sort of test performed on me imaginable. All of my tests came out perfect. The doctor told me I was perfectly fine and that I probably had a bug, to drink lots of water and I would be fine. I told him that I had stopped taking Yasmin and done research on this - I asked if this was the withdrawal symptoms of stopping Yasmin. He said no.

The next day I felt slightly better but as it got later in the day I was exactly the same again. And, once again I was rushed to the emergency room. I had more tests done and they told me I was fine and probably had a bug. I told the doctor about the Yasmin and he ignored me. I was sent home after the tests came back fine and I had a drip as well as morphine to calm me down.

I have not been in the hospital since then but my symptoms have not really gone away. I admit that I am better than I was but to this day (it has been almost one month) I have had diarrhea and some anxiety daily. I have seen a doctor about this TWICE. on the first occasion he told me this was not the result of Yasmin. He said the symptoms I was having were too severe to be related to Yasmin. On the second occasion, he told me that MAYBE this was the result of Yasmin but this was "rare". He said I would be fine after another week. He was wrong.

I have no idea what to do. I spend hours everyday crying and have had thoughts of ending my life. I cannot enjoy the things I used to enjoy and I hate myself for going on Yasmin. I refuse to take any other pills or to put any other chemicals in my body. I feel like I will never get better. I feel like there is something wrong with me even though I know Yasmin is the root of my problems. I know it has only been just under a month but how long will this last? I have been taking various vitamins and minerals but nothing seems to help.

I hate that doctors won't admit that we are suffering from Yasmin side effects. It's not fair.

I have days where I am positive and feel like I will be fine. Then on other days I feel like I am just getting worse all over again. I don't know how to help myself and its not fair that I am putting my family, friends and boyfriend through this. I have had thoughts of breaking up with my boyfriend so he doesn't have to see me like this.

Any advice will really help and I would really appreciate to hear some success stories from women who have experienced similar symptoms and recovered.

Thank you.
Camilla,
Adelaide, South Australia

Forum is MIA

Hello all,
I am sure some of you have noticed that the Yasmin and Yaz Survivors forum is not available at the moment. I have no idea why this is and is trying to figure it out.

If you want to share your stories in the meantime PLEASE email them to yasmin_yaz@live.com and I will add them to the blog. Please make sure you put in the title "For Blog" so I know I can add it.

Love and support to all.

Birth Control Side effects (just a small list, nothing to worry about)

Birth control is a subject that has become a mission bigger than myself... I feel a need to spread the word to everyone I speak with and I wish someone could have shared with me ten years ago what I know today... But on the other hand if someone would have done that - I would not have been here today, trying to work so hard for it.

Birth control in the form of IUD, Pill, Implant, Shot, Ring or Patch are a hormonal form of birth control. They are accepted as the NORM by many; including our parents, friends and doctors and are not questioned enough. What we learn about them are the so called benefits and not side effects - and in many cases the side effect is looked upon as that 1-something percent chance of getting pregnant... (Off course getting pregnant will change your life forever and I am not trying to hide that...) but there is so much more than that. So much that not many speak about, or even acknowledge as being related.

More often than NOT are our symptoms ignored, laughed at, or treated with medications that most often fail. Why, I do not know - but I am sad that it has to be that way... there are so many young wonderful women out there that need the support that are left alone to think that it is all in their heads.

I am here to tell you that it is NOT in your head - your symptoms are very much real and are related to hormonal birth control, (or hormonal treatment during menopause if you are at that stage in your life):

• Hair loss
• Heart Palpitations
  
• Vision blurres
• Astigmatism
• High Blood pressure
• Allergy reactions
• Sinus problems
• Vaginal Dryness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Insomia
• Symptom of Hypothyroidism
• Low tolerance to carbohydrates
• Poor nutrition absorbtion
• Diarrhea 
• Dizzyness
• Alcohol and/or Caffeine sensitiveness
• Feeling faint
• Weight Gain
• Weight Loss
  
• Low or no sex drive
• Spotting in-between periods
• Irregular Bleeding
• Cold sores
• Low immune system
• UTI
• Memory problems
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Migraines
• Head aches
• Weepiness
• PCOS
• Sensitive to the sun
• Nervousness 
• Chronically tired
• Changes in skin 
• Muscle cramps or pain
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Blood clot

As you can see most symptoms have nothing to do with your reproductive tract (vagina, uterus, menstruation)... and they may be overlooked by yourself even, as a symptom of your birth control method. And if you suspect that it is linked you must prepare yourself that your suspicion might be dismissed by the doctor or gynecologist. You must listen to your body! Taking beta blockers, anti depressants, and/or use Rogain shampoo will NOT treat your real underlying issue, only hide it - if you are lucky - and then you should also hope for no side effects of this options. The only way you are truly going to get rid of this is to get off the hormonal birth control, and by that I mean GET OFF, not try another one, and restore your body's natural hormone balance; which could be a trip to hell and back but worth the ride in the end!

Your health comes first! It is really that simple. Without your health in tact you cannot care for your loved ones in the best possible way. Take care of YOU first! If you are taking hormonal birth control you should really sit down and ask yourself if it is worth the risks when there are so many other available options out there that does not include hormones when it comes to birth control...

A 28-day cycle

Are you also one of those women who were convinced to go on the pill because your cycles were not regular?! It seemed so natural back then, didn't it?! And not to say - easy: Just pop a pill a day and you were good to go... right?! 

Well, as we have learned - a pill does not fix it, just hides it... forces your body to doing something else even if it wasn't designed to do so.

Funny thing is that there are things you can do to assist in regulating your cycle to follow that "desired" 28-day cycle. Natural things... Let me tell you how:

This approach is for anyone that is trying to regulate their cycle for any reason. (A regular cycle is something good because it helps our bodies to maintain a healthy natural balance of hormones). And by saying regular it is when you have your cycles without any traumatic symptoms...

What else in this world is also working on a regular cycle?
- You guessed it - the beautiful, mysterious Mr. Moon!!
So there is something to the moon and the fertility of women. And you thought it was an old tail, didn't you?! Ok, you might think it is absolutely ridiculous that a moon can effect your cycle but think about it: The moon can change the flow of the earths waters; called the tides.. why not our cycles?! Ok, ok.. there may be no 100% proof, but the idea is highly interesting! (and I don't think the BC pill was a 100% proof thing either).

New Moon to Full Moon
This is considered day 1-14; where a new cycle starts for the moon. So it should do for you as well. It marks for a new beginning. When there is a new moon you should have your period. (Day 1 is the day you get your period).

Now, the Full Moon on the other hand.. What many stories we hear about that, especially now when the vampire movies and series are so popular. But if you go based on this, Full Moon is baby-making-time! That is when women ovulate naturally.


Full Moon to New Moon 
This is considered day 15-28/29/30 Your body is either taking care of a new baby or is re-generating to start the whole process again in a few weeks. As you get close to the end you will feel the water retention and bloating just before the period - just like those tides we were talking about...

Ok, what do you do with this knowledge? 
So.. There are these two natural oils you can take to assist in this adaptation. Adaptation to the moon and the natural flow of our cycles. It is simple, it is natural, and it is a shame this is not taught to women everywhere!

New Moon to Full Moon - Take Flaxseed oil 

Full Moon to New Moon - Take Evening Primrose oil  

In other words you switch with the changes of the moon. You can google for moon phases to make sure you are following the correct cycle or get a calendar that would mark it. I got an app called MOON and it notifies me when there is a new moon or full moon :)
These oils should preferable be organic.
Amounts? You have to try what works for you...

I use the flaxseed oil in my veggie and fruit smoothies or on my salad every day the first phase. Then with EPO I take capsules but can be very well administrated by puncturing a capsule and put the content on your skin!

Even if your period does not follow this cycle currently you can still try this and observe how your cycle will change slowly to adapt to the natural cycle.

Good Luck!!
Have you tried this - please comment!