Birth Control, the Brain, and Mental Health: What No One Told Us

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This post does not constitute medical advice and does not serve as a replacement for a conversation with your prescriber about your own unique situation.

Have you ever started a new birth control and suddenly felt off—more anxious, disconnected, or like your emotions don’t quite belong to you? You’re not imagining it. Dr. Sarah E. Hill’s This Is Your Brain on Birth Control dives deep into the science behind hormonal contraception and how it can shape not just your cycle—but your sense of self.

This book isn’t about fear—it’s about informed choice. Dr. Hill is a research psychologist who once took hormonal birth control herself without ever being told how it might affect her brain. Now, she’s breaking the silence and giving us the language to ask better questions.

Here’s what the book explores:

Your brain is hormonally sensitive—and birth control changes that.
Hormones like estrogen and progesterone don’t just influence your uterus. They affect mood regulation, memory, motivation, and even who you’re attracted to. Hormonal birth control flattens your natural cycle, which can disrupt those rhythms—and for some people, that shift is subtle. For others, it’s life-altering.

Mood, identity, and emotional variability can change.
Many people report feeling more anxious, numb, or less connected to themselves on hormonal birth control. Dr. Hill unpacks why that might be, and how birth control can affect how we process emotions, experience pleasure, and even relate to our partners. For those of us already managing ADHD, anxiety, or depression, this information is crucial.

It’s not about being anti-birth control—it’s about being pro-you.
The book doesn’t say “don’t take it.” It says: if you're going to take a brain-altering medication, you deserve to know how it works. That includes tracking your mood, asking hard questions, and making choices that support your mental health—not just your physical health.

Why this matters in therapy:
As therapists, we see clients struggle with mental health shifts that don’t always make sense on the surface. Understanding the connection between birth control and the brain can open the door to real conversations about bodily autonomy, self-trust, and emotional wellbeing. It’s not just a “women’s health” issue—it’s a mental health issue.

This Is Your Brain on Birth Control is a powerful reminder that we are allowed to question the medications we’re offered—even the ones everyone says are “no big deal.” If you’ve ever felt dismissed when bringing up birth control-related mood changes, this book validates your experience and gives you tools to advocate for yourself.

You deserve choices that honor your whole self—including your brain.