Hormonal shift number four affects your reproductive system in profound ways. The chronic stress from narcissistic abuse severely disrupts sex hormone production. For women, this typically manifests as irregular or absent menstrual cycles, severe PMS symptoms, and disrupted ovulation. The constant stress signals to your body that it’s not a safe time to reproduce, so it shuts down or severely reduces estrogen and progesterone production. Even when cycles continue, their quality changes dramatically, leading to longer, more painful periods or cycles that are too short or too long. The delicate balance between estrogen and progesterone becomes chaotic, leading to mood swings, insomnia, and physical symptoms that seem to come out of nowhere.
For men, chronic stress severely impacts testosterone production. The same stress signals that disrupt women’s cycles tell the male body to reduce testosterone synthesis. This leads to decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, muscle loss, increased body fat, and significant mood changes, including depression and anxiety. Both men and women experience disrupted sleep patterns due to reproductive hormone changes. Progesterone and testosterone have natural calming effects that promote deep sleep. When these hormones are suppressed, sleep becomes fragmented and non-restorative, creating a vicious cycle where poor sleep further disrupts hormonal balance.
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