What’s interesting is that Rhian says this technique is not just reserved for those who suffer with endometriosis, but could also be a good hack to help any woman suffering with PMT and menstrual cramps.
“What I’ve found when I worked with people is that, for people who it’s too much to say, ‘Okay, I’m going to quit [alcohol] for three months,’ because that’s a lot, to go from being however you are in your normal life to saying, ‘Okay, I’m going to go cold turkey for three months,’ it’s very challenging. The first change I would always say is, if your PMT is already bad and your period pain is already bad, let’s just see if pulling back in that second phase helps. Nine times out of 10, it always helps.”
And so, with all this in mind, I set forth to menstrual map sobriety.
Unfortunately, unlike other times of the year such as ‘Dry January’ or ‘Stoptober’ when you can plan social events around abstinence, ovaries pay no regard to one’s social diary. In the first month of my experiment, my luteal phase and period fall – very inconveniently – on the final days of my summer holiday and the weekend of a massive 40th birthday party. But, reader, I survived. Not only that, I thrived! Yes it was tricky curtailing the wine on the penultimate day of my holiday and I got an early night at the 40th (drunk people get very boring after a few hours) but the endo symptoms were almost immediately reduced.
I still suffered with pain on the first day of my period, but without alcohol in my system, it was around a 4 or 5 out of 10 on the pain scale as opposed to 7 or 8. My PMT symptoms were still there, but only lasted a couple of days instead of nearly a week. The following month I had friends come to stay for the weekend during my sobriety phase, and this time round, I found it even easier, knowing the benefits I had in store from abstaining. Overall, abstaining from alcohol during the second half of my cycle has helped with the pain of the condition, but not so much with the hormonal side effects such as mood swings and anxiety, but they are not as acute without alcohol in my system and the symptoms don’t last as long.
What did however take me by surprise was when I started drinking again, because my body had been used to a few weeks of total abstinence, my hangovers – *sigh* – were a lot worse. Especially my ‘hangxiety’. All this is of course, as Rhian points out, due to the body becoming used to no longer having the toxins to deal with, so then being shocked when they’re reintroduced.
Buoyed by three months of menstrual mapping sobriety, I have now entered a new phase which is – remarkably – near total teetotal. In the past month I have only had one alcoholic drink, of course, in my follicular phase. It’s not easy by any means, but the benefits to my hormonal, reproductive and mental health are phenomenal. I still have symptoms of endometriosis, but they are manageable. I feel happier, calmer, I have more energy and am sleeping so much better as well. I may not have cured my endometriosis, but it’s the most natural way I’ve found to manage it. And for that, I am really grateful.
