A WAY OUT FROM MOOD SWINGS

ABSTRACT

Oh my God!!!! Bloodstains!!!! I am bleeding….I am about to die….A common thought which has occurred in most of the girl's heads when they menstruate for the first time. It is one of the changing phases of every girl's life. That day everyone looks up to her and says " Now you are a woman". Kids who are aware of it welcome these words calmly whereas those who have less knowledge of them find them the most irritating phrases. As we say the word menstruation, it is always correlated to women but women are not the only beings who menstruate. Once Trans activist Kenny Ethan Jones said "Not all women menstruate, and not all people who menstruate are women."

LET'S KNOW THE BIOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF MENSTRUATION

Menstruation is the process in which the endometrial lining of the uterus sheds off along with blood. This then passes through the cervix and comes out through the vagina. This process usually lasts from three to six days. The amount of menstrual blood varies from woman to woman based on their physique, lifestyle, etc.

The start of menstruation is called menarche and its timing of start depends on hormonal changes, nutritional intake, and genetics. The age around which people start menstruating is 10 to 15 and the stoppage of menstruation is termed menopause and it occurs around the age of 45 to 50. Menstruation is repeated at an average interval of about 28/29 days and the cycle of events starting from one menstruation till the next one is called the menstrual cycle.

LET'S KNOW THE AYURVEDIC POINT OF VIEW

According to Ayurveda, menstruation occurs due to the influence of the tridoshas and dhatus. During this phase, they are called Rithumathi. As per Ayurveda, menstrual blood or rajah is a by-product of Rasa dhatu. This dhatu is formed by what we consume. Healthy menstrual blood will not have a foul smell, will be of the color of bright red, and would not leave a stain on clothes. These are the shudha aartava lakshnas.

Imbalances can be caused due to an excess of a particular dosha

• A person with Vata dominance will have lighter blood flow and blood may be darker, or even blackish. These people face anxiety, constipation, low back pain, and hip pain.
• A person with pitta dominance will tend to have heavier bleeding and a feeling of heat during the cycle. During this time they may have swelling in the body, sensitive breasts, anger, irritability, diarrhea, acne, etc.
• A person with Kapha dominance tends to have heavy bleeding and have mucus. They have a feeling of heaviness, depression, or emotional eating.

CHANGES HAPPENING DURING THIS PHASE

When puberty hits, children go through a lot of changes, which can be physical as well as mental. Their body is going through so many changes due to fluctuating hormone levels, as a result, they experience mood swings. Hormonal fluctuations alone are not responsible, even the other physical causes can also be the cause of moodiness. Many hormones contribute to the outset of puberty, but the most notable hormones that bring a major change in girls are estrogen. During puberty, the adolescent’s hormonal balance changes strongly towards an adult state; the process is activated by the pituitary gland, which secretes a spurt of hormonal agents into the blood and initiates a string of changes. During menstruation, people experience a lot of mixed feelings, they feel like crying, sometimes have high feelings, feel angry, etc. It is also referred to as PMS that is premenstrual syndrome. These all are an outcome of the hormonal changes occurring in the body. Sometimes it affects our day-to-day life too, after all, our mental state and mood influence every sphere of our life.

LET'S KNOW SOME TIPS TO KEEP THESE MOOD SWINGS IN CONTROL

To have a positive and healthy state of mind, a few changes in our lifestyle are enough. We can inculcate simple practices like doing exercise regularly; avoiding caffeine, alcohol, sugar, etc as they are potent stimulants and bring about a lot of change in our mood; following a healthy diet, helps to keep the whole body healthy; doing stress management therapies like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, massage therapy or talk therapy, etc. And most important is having a good sound sleep because sleep is the state where the body relaxes and helps in the proper functioning of the body.

AYURVEDIC HERBS IN RESCUE

Ayurveda is one of the ancient sciences and practicing the simple norms of it can help you have a healthy and prosperous life. Let's know some Ayurvedic herbs that would help us tackle the mood swings that people face before the onset of the menstrual phase

1. Brahmi

It is an ancient Indian herb that has been in use for more tha 3,000 years. Extracts from it are taken and are used; it increases memory power and helps in combating stress effectively. This can be used exte ally as oil and internally as tea or capsules. Having this will help a person pass through the difficult times in life without undue depression and anxiety. This herb is widely used and is a stress buster.

2. Ashwagandha

It is an evergreen herbal plant with a lot of medicinal properties. It is traditionally used as an adaptogen. This herb has been a cure for many diseases and is capable of preventing diseases like cancer. It helps in maintaining blood sugar, good memory, good mood, is anti-inflammatory, and has shown good results in preventing anxiety and depression.

3. Mandukapa i

It is a scented perennially grown herb that helps to improve mental alertness. It enhances memory when used regularly and also helps in boosting the immune system. This can be taken in the form of a capsule, therefore having this daily can bring a lot of changes to the mental state.

4. Vacha

It is an ancient herb that is bitter in taste and used in the dried form. In Ayurveda, Vacha is known as a rejuvenating herb because of its effect on the nervous system. It is considered a brain tonic and is even good in improving digestion.

So let's have these as a part of our daily lives and have a healthy mind and healthy life.