A pivotal moment in my life

I remember waking up one morning feeling completely at a loss with myself. I was in extreme physical and emotional pain. The year prior, I had been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, and the plan for surgery was still stuck in the process of approval.

I bled for thirty days straight. Clots the size of my fist. I still don’t know how I drove myself to the hospital that day. Once there, everything happened fast: admission, transfer, emergency surgery. I remember wondering if I’d make it through. I received multiple blood transfusions, along with magnesium, iron, and potassium. Later, the doctor told me my uterus was three times its normal size and still pushing out clots as he held it in his hands.

Recovery wasn’t the relief I hoped for. The night sweats, insomnia, shortness of breath, mental fog, fatigue, that sense of impending doom — I assumed it was lingering anemia, maybe something the hospital had overlooked yet again. Completely unaware that ovaries can shut down even when they’re intact, I found myself in menopause. It felt strange to experience the same set of symptoms under two different diagnoses.

Hormone therapy helped, but in other ways, things got worse. It's funny, I'm drafting this blog in the same place I found myself lost, on the right armrest of my living room couch. Here I sat, with an empty stare and a mixture of emotions that ranged from disgust, irritability to anger.

Painful memories I thought I had conquered began to invade my existence again. I was no longer in control of my body, my mind, or my emotions. I tried talking myself out of it — after all, I’m a psychiatric nurse practitioner. But how do you talk yourself out of emotions that have no clear origin? When the origin is biological, hormonal, internal?

Yes, I agree, there was my past. But my past was not the new enemy. The new, most frightening enemy was me — the version of me that was birthed by menopause. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for my doctor to start me on an antidepressant commonly used during menopause as adjunctive therapy. Within less than three days, I felt myself returning. I was in disbelief.

Every treatment comes with disadvantages, but the alternative — losing myself — was far worse, and I was willing to pay the cost.

Not all struggles can be cured by medication. But neither can all struggles be cured by lifestyle alone. It is a privilege to be someone whose mental and physical health can be balanced by diet and exercise alone. A person may reduce their risk for diabetes through healthy habits, but can they prevent the deterioration caused by diabetes without pharmacological support? Lifestyle can help, but it cannot always reverse what has already gone wrong — especially when internal mechanisms become blunted, disrupted, or completely inactive.

Sometimes additional support is necessary. That is something my experience taught me in a way textbooks never could. When the body’s internal systems shift — whether through hormones, neurochemistry, metabolism, or trauma — the brain shifts with it. Mood shifts. Motivation shifts. Appetite shifts. Focus shifts. The reward system shifts. And when the reward system shifts, everything from eating to thinking to simply getting through the day becomes harder. When you understand how deeply metabolic, endocrine, and neurological systems intertwine, it becomes clear why conditions often overlap. Stabilizing hormones and supporting nutrient pathways can make a world of difference.

For some people, the benefits of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists go beyond difficult to treat hormonal weight gain and other metabolic symptoms. Research shows they reduce inflammation, improve insulin resistance, and influence dopaminergic neuron growth (Moiz et al., 2022). In women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), GLP-1 agonists improved ovarian function markers compared to placebo, restored menstrual cycles, reduced androgen secretion, and even restored healthier microbiome diversity (Monney et al., 2023; Baranowska-Bik, 2022).

In Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), for example, the reward system is inherently dysregulated (Curatolo et al., 2010). That dysregulation contributes to patterns like emotional impulsivity, binge-eating, and weight cycling. In individuals with Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) — especially when paired with ADHD or obesity — GLP-1 therapies can help alter those disrupted pathways.

Even nutrients play a role. Folate metabolism abnormalities have been shown to disrupt mitochondrial function in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Clinical studies demonstrate that targeted folate support can improve neurological functioning — even speech — in subsets of individuals (Frye et al.).

All of this reminds me: This isn’t about chasing perfection. This is about finding yourself again — biologically, emotionally, mentally. Because healing is not linear. And it is never one-size-fits-all.

What I learned through my own journey is that the body is delicate — but also resilient. I once thought I had lost myself, but in reality, I was being rewritten. Through medicine, understanding, compassion, and persistence, I found a different version of myself — someone fortunate to have lived an experience that now helps me understand the invisible battles people carry.

If you find yourself lost in your own body, overwhelmed by symptoms you can’t explain, or struggling with changes that feel out of your control — I hope my story reminds you of one thing:

You are not alone. And you deserve to feel like yourself again.

References

GLP-1 & PCOS:

• Monney M., Mavromati M., Leboulleux S., Gariani K. Endocrine and metabolic effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on women with PCOS: a narrative review. Geneva University Hospitals.

• Baranowska-Bik A. Therapy of obesity in women with PCOS using GLP-1 analogues—benefits and limitations. Endokrynologia Polska, 2022.

GLP-1 Mechanisms:

• Moiz A. et al. Mechanisms of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist–Induced Weight Loss: Central and Peripheral Pathways in Appetite and Energy Regulation. McGill University.

Metabolic & obesity-related GLP-1 data:

• Muzurovic EM et al. GLP-1 and GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity/metabolic syndrome. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2022.

ADHD Neurobiology:

• Curatolo P., D’Agati E., Moavero R. The neurobiological basis of ADHD. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 2010.

Folate metabolism & autism:

• Frye R. et al. Treatment of Folate Metabolism Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

PMDD & SSRIs:

• ACOG guidelines, 2018.

• MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health.

• RCOG PMDD management guidelines.