Hey girls, I just wanted to know if anyone else has had bad experiences on the depo injection and how to lesson the symptoms ect. It has made me extremely hormonally imbalanced and has generally knocked my confidence. Before having this injection done I was really confident and happy, I have become really depressed, have awful mood swings that can leave me in tears for hours on end. I don’t know if anyone else has experienced anything similar to this and has any advice. Thank you.
Hey @elenaemilia, I’m so sorry you’re having a really tough time at the moment, it’s super shit when you’re not feeing yourself. I haven’t had the depo injection though when I was on the pill I had the most horrific mood swings too and I would spend days on end feeling incredibly low. Please don’t suffer through it alone, confide in a loved one so they can help you through the low moments. Maybe hormonal contraception isn’t for you?
Hi lovely, is there another form of contraception you can use? Nothing is worth your mental health or your sanity. You deserve to live your life to the fullest and it sounds like you’re not able to do that at the moment. I don’t have enough knowledge to offer advice on this, though I know @Dr.HANX_Co-founder will have some great advice 
Hi @elenaemilia, thanks for sharing - it is not uncommon to have problems with the depo injection. As a hormonal injection, it can affect some individuals in different ways than others.
The depo provera injection is a progesterone only injection that is given every 12 weeks for contraception. It is useful for women who forget to take the pill and want to avoid pregnancy as it is 99% effective when given correctly. However, some women find that it causes irregular bleeding, mood swings and weight gain. It is also not recommended to use the depo injection long-term, as it affects your oestrogen levels which in turn affects your bone density. It is fine for a couple of years, but something to be wary of longer-term.
I would recommend you see your GP/ sexual health clinic to look at other contraceptive options, as the depo injection doesn’t seem to suit you. Unfortunately, once given we cannot remove the depo from your system, but it will wear off (and the side-effects should subside) after 12-13 weeks.
In terms of your low mood, I would recommend speaking to someone about this too, as you can help improve this with other lifestyle factors such as exercise, good sleep, etc. And if there are other things going on in your life causing stress, it would be good to have support for these. As @Junglegirl and @Emma_HANX have said, confide in your loved ones for support, as your mental health is very important. Hopefully, things will settle down for you soon.
I hope that helps. And please see a health professional for more advice moving forwards.
Good luck finding the right option for you.
Sarah x
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Hey @elenaemilia, I am so sorry that you’re going through this, we have absolutely no desire to remove your story from this forum, you are immensely brave and courageous to share it. I know that @Emma_HANX has experienced depression in the past so I’ve asked her to respond to you. Sending you all my love 
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Hey @elenaemilia My heart broke a little as I read your message, I think you are unbelievably strong, stronger than you give yourself credit for. Whilst it is not the same experience in any way, Olivia is right, I used to have terrible acne and it sent me to the lowest chapter of my life, so I understand that depression can have a silently chaotic affect on your mental state.
Everyone’s first love leaves a mark on them and it sounds like your first love was an abusive relationship that had a huge impact on your mental health. You were so young and impressionable when you met, please don’t blame yourself for anything that happened. I wish I could reach out through my screen and give you a hug, I know that telling you I’m sorry for what he did at that party isn’t enough. I can’t even imagine how you must feel. Have you spoken to someone you trust about that incident? Just because you had consenting sex with him in the years proceeding doesn’t mean you can’t discuss that night with someone now. You can always speak up about an abuse that happened years ago regardless of what has happened since.
Please please don’t ever think of yourself as a ‘slag’, we all go through different phases in our lives where we explore our sexuality and experiment with sex. I understand that you may regret that time in your life, but you cannot go back and change it so try to chalk that up to adolescence. Trust me we have all done things we regret, it’s how we move on from them that shapes who we are.
As for the constant cycle of him coming back into your life when suited him, you aren’t the first girl and you definitely won’t be the last to love someone and have that love be exploited. My ex would take advantage of my feelings for him just because he could, and I would let him because I loved him. Love is not a weakness, especially when you are in a relationship with someone who respects and cherishes you. I know that you will find yourself in a loving relationship one day soon and you will find that your love is a strength.
Making the decision to terminate a pregnancy and then having that termination deteriorate is unfathomable. Please allow yourself the time to process it all, this would’ve been a tremendously painful time under normal circumstances never mind the series of events that led you there. I really think you need to speak to someone, perhaps a therapist who you can see through the NHS. It will be completely confidential and what you talk about in that room will never leave unless you want it to. You have essentially experienced a lifetime of trauma in a few short years and you should not go through it alone or continue down this painful path.
It feels like you might be punishing yourself for the way you behaved in your past and the decisions you made. Please stop punishing yourself, today. You need to learn to love yourself again, take baby steps. You mentioned you aren’t putting any effort into your appearance and you feel a little spotty. Maybe your baby steps are a simple skincare regime, have you tried sheet masks? They are great fuss-free skincare, you simply need to wash your face and put one on for half an hour. I would recommend the clearing solution and soothing hydra solution from Dr Jart.
Perhaps partying and drinking isn’t for you, there are other activities you can do to spend your free time, is there a type of exercise you enjoy? It doesn’t have to be anything super intense, maybe it’s yoga or swimming. Whatever it is, start doing it once a week, maybe invite one of your friends, make it a habit and then try to build it up to twice a week and so on. You need to put some time into self-care. Maybe that means quitting one of your three jobs so you can mentally and physically recover from what you’ve been through.
You deserve to feel good again and you deserve to be happy my love. That starts with looking after yourself and maybe speaking with someone about the last 4 years. @Dr.HANX_Co-founder will be able to offer some advice on how to ask your GP to refer you to see someone. If speaking to a stranger about all of this feels too much too soon, perhaps try talking to your mum or writing her a letter about it. It can be incredibility difficult and overwhelming to explain everything and say all that you want to say to someone. Writing it down in a letter for her to read and then destroy, so you can be sure no one else will find it could be a good first step to helping her understand what you are going through. I’m sure she would want nothing more than to be there for you and to help you find your way back to yourself.
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Hi @elenaemilia I just wanted to say how brave you are for posting such a heartwrenching story. By sharing your story, I really hope you resonate with other women to know that you are not alone. There are multiple times in your story that have resonated with myself e.g. we all know too well that feeling of being besotted with someone at such young age. I know you don’t feel great right now but you need to remember the following:
- you are young and have some much going for you - a whole world out there and so many fantastic experiences and memories to create
- you will get through this. I promise you. It might take months, it could take a year or two but everything you have been through will make you even stronger.
- you have such a good heart - the fact that you spent so long with your partner trying to see the best in him and making it work. I know hindsight is a beautiful thing and perhaps you wish you hadn’t gone through with it all but you are a kind person who doesn’t give up.
- it’s ok to cry. Its like therapy and it is so cathartic. These are your emotions; your body trying to help you through this very tough time. And sometimes you will have moments where everything is ok and something makes you laugh…and then a few hours later you are teary. Totally normal and healthy.
- you are going through a really tough time. Know that everything that you are feeling is ok and give yourself some self-compassion.
- Fresh air. Sounds daft but even just opening the window (if you don’t want to go out) and taking some deep breaths really help. If you can muster the courage even a 10m walk can really help. Just the process of having a shower, getting changed and getting out can do wonders to your mind. If you’re not feeling up for it, use an app like Calm to help with breathing.
I really really do feel for you - you are a strong cookie and must commend yourself for being brave enough to open up on here.
Sending positive healing vibes xx
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Hey @elenaemilia - thank you for being so brave and sharing your story here.
There has been some great advice on this thread and I really hope the support has helped in some way.
I would kindly urge you to talk to someone (outside family/ friends) and see your GP for a referral. This shouldn’t be difficult process and can’t help a great deal. Start by talking to your GP about your experiences and how you feel, and they will help you in getting the support you need.
As already mentioned, it’s important to look after yourself, and this is a huge step in doing so.
Please let us know how you get on. Remember you’re never alone in your struggles.
Sarah x
Hello everyone,
I can honestly say that your words and support have helped me so much and will enable me to start helping myself. You have moved me.
Thank you so much.
Love El 
Hi, I am a researcher for a University of Cambridge based global health think-tank, Polygeia. The team are working on a research paper looking into ‘what constitutes a positive contraception experience’ as we wish to understand how people’s experiences of using contraception can be improved. During our online desk-based research I came across this post and comments and believe it can help us answer our research. The team at Polygeia have devised a comprehensive information and consent sheet which I am unable to attach in this post but would love to share with you all. All the data collected is entirely anonymous and therefore we would simply like to gain consent to analyse the experiences you shared online. I look forward to hearing from you all. Best wishes