Foreign objects don’t belong in a woman’s uterus. Chemicals don’t belong in a woman’s uterus.

I’ve always been a happy girl. A happy baby, happy toddler, happy child, happy teenager, happy woman. Never depressed. Never unmotivated. Never lazy. Hardly ever mean, manipulative, or likely to cry myself to sleep in self-defeat, worry, or even emotional pain.

A few months ago, my partner and I decided it would be best to get the Mirena IUD inserted as our method of birth control. The insertion process was relatively painless (kind of crampy), and my insurance covered the procedure entirely. I knew that birth control hormones messed with my brain before, but the doctor told me that the Mirena was different. We went home after the quick procedure, and after a week had passed, we had lots of worry-free sex.

Rad! Awesome! Perfect!

As the weeks passed, I started to feel lazier. Unmotivated. Things that normally made me happy, such as skiing, spending time with my boyfriend and dog, painting, writing, and running didn’t make me as happy. Things I had been doing my entire life just made me feel unsuccessful. Feelings of inadequacy crept up…and then became demons. I would forget to do my errands or forget what people said. I would forget what my boyfriend has said minutes before. He bought me flowers, wrote me notes, and told me I was beautiful and spent all his time with me, and I still felt inadequate. Why? 

I would randomly start crying in the middle of the day—for no reason. I was jealous of almost every other woman I encountered or that my boyfriend talked to, a feeling that I had rarely had before. Problems that I had typically handled by myself became huge hurdles. I didn’t want to meet my friends to hang out. I was actually scared of going out in public and I justified these feelings to others, which is a feeling that was alien to me; I used to walk around town and ride my bike all day without a thought or a care. Foods that normally had never appealed to me started to look delicious (i.e. candy, cookies, chips, Spam).

These feelings of not being good enough didn’t go away, regardless of how healthy, active, or spiritual I tried to be. I started to pick fights with my partner about stupid things. I started to feel paranoid, reclusive, and isolated. There were times that I didn’t feel like having sex, which is a feeling I have never had. Any level of stress seemed like hundreds of pounds on my back and a thousand knives in my head. Things got worse…much worse.

I finally got my IUD out, and now that my relationship and friendships are in limbo, I am trying to heal myself and get back on track—to get my life and relationships back. I feel so much better, and it has only been two weeks since the Mirena has stopped coursing through my body.

I’m not a doctor, but I can offer my own story and the evidence I have. So if anyone is considering getting an IUD, get the copper one…not Mirena. In fact, steer clear of hormones in general—unless it is certain they don’t mess with you. Let the body be the way it was meant to be. Let your mind be clear and healthy. It will thank you, and so will your loved ones and your intimate partner. My symptoms were mostly emotional, but I have heard and read things about women suffering from infections, bloating, severe pains, bleeding, and other more serious problems.

If you need more stories about this, or have stories to share, visit The Truth About The Mirena IUD. Warning: Some are horrific…much more horrific than my story.

Good luck, sweethearts. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all!

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Editor: Jenna Penielle Lyons

Photo: Image: © Nevit Dilmen