I Know How You Feel

Guest Blog by Helena Mathis

Helena is the administrator of the Yasmin Survivors Forum,  where women from around the world who have suffered side effects of Yaz, Yasmin & Ocella can come together to support each other.

When you are sick, no matter what it is, the only thing you want is someone to take you by your hand and say: “I know how you feel, I went through the exact same thing. Finding people that are in the same situation who nod their heads in understanding when you tell your story instead of looking at you like you are crazy is more important than anyone can describe.

I am a Yasmin survivor.

Because of what I went through during my seven years on this drug and the struggles coming off it I am now passionately involved in spreading the word on the dangers of Yaz, Yasmin & Ocella. Most of my time is spent speaking with women and their families through a group called the Yasmin Survivor Forum. It is an online forum where women from all around the world who were prescribed Yasmin, Yaz, and Ocella can come together and share their experiences, talk about their side effects, and most importantly hold each other’s hands while weaning themselves off these drugs.

Common side effects from Yaz, Yasmin & Ocella discussed on the forum include depression, vision changes, anxiety, panic attacks, illogical thinking, headaches, migraine, low libido, weight changes, spotting, allergies, heart palpitations, hair loss, hypothyroidism, and many more.  The first time I found the Yasmin Survivor Forum I couldn’t stop crying. It was the first time in over seven years that I had found people going through the same things I was. It was for real; it wasn’t just in my head… There were hundreds of other women out there who felt exactly as I did; in fact it was as though they were writing and talking about me in their posts.

For so many years  I walked around thinking that the changes I was noticing with my body and mind were due to stress from different life situations, older age (I am now 30), and just a more mature and new me. Today I know that it was due to Yasmin.

I had three pills left in my pack when I found the forum and I was unable to finish it after realizing what kind of damage it was doing to me every day. In fact, I stopped taking Yasmin that day, October 7th, 2009 and have been active on the forum ever since.

Today I am the administrator and owner of the forum and help support every member on their journey back to becoming their real selves again. Many women, including myself, find this struggle very hard. The body must first get rid of the synthetic hormones and then the natural hormone production must start up again – a process that is mentally and physically exhausting! Without the forum many women would probably go back on the pill, or maybe try another brand, because they would never gain the knowledge needed to handle this.
The knowledge of why your symptoms are happening and the support of others who will not let you fail form the basis and soul of this forum.   We’re here for you!

My dream is that we can close the forum down simply because there are no more women suffering from birth control pills, but until then it is open for everyone that needs our support. Women and their loved ones are welcome to come and read, ask questions, and write about whatever they are going through – whatever they need in order to feel comfort…

Xoxox
Helena Mathis

Visit the Yasmin Survivors Forum here.

Disclaimer: This article was contributed by a private individual and the views expressed in it are in no way, shape or form endorsed by Parker Waichman LLP. Parker Waichman LLP takes no responsibility for the content of this post.