Vanessa asks :
Hi Lucy,
I haven't had a period for 8 months and I know I am definitely not pregnant. Could this be due to stress? If so- how do you advise to remain stress free in your everyday life? Thank you so much.
Hi Vanessa,
Agony Aunts on Female First
It is possible that if you're stressed you can miss one or more periods. The body is sensitive to any disruptions to your normal routines and feelings.
Stress can cause irregular periods and missed periods and if your stress levels rise to a certain point they can stop completely which is called secondary amenorrhea.
As you have missed a few periods in a row I would suggest you talk to your doctor. They may wish to do various other tests on you to check your hormone levels. As stress effects the part of the brain that produces hormones- it can alter your hormone levels leading to changes to the length and regularity of your period.
Other things such as cysts, tumours and hormone deficiencies can cause missed periods too so it's worth being checked out to put your mind at ease.
If the doctor finds that it's more psychological than anything physical they might be able to recommend some counselling for you or you can always go privately if you don't want to wait. The therapist should be able to tailor some techniques to you that will help you cope better with the stress in your life.
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