I’ve noticed a pattern during my internship and jobs that I make a lot of mistakes during the week of my period. I work in healthcare, and am currently doing an intership in a laboratory. I normally have no problem following strict protocols or getting the correct results, but when something goes wrong (switched samples, forgot to add a product,…) it’s when I’m on my period. Our supervisor always checks the results so it luckily gets discovered before having a big impact, but it’s still a mistake.
It really sucks because I don’t know what to do about it. I try extra hard to focus during that week but I still mess up. I’m already on meds for my panic attacks (I have CPTSD) and that has helped me tremendously but that one week every month still seems too much too handle.
I’m really embarassed because even though I’m still learning (internship) it does give the impression that I can’t follow simple directions and am not to be trusted. My intership has always been really friendly about it by the way but logically their trust in me is getting a hit every time I make a mistake.
Does this sound recognizable for anyone? Experiences and advice are very much welcome!
Comments
Not asking for your medical info, but is it possible you’re borderline ADHD? Hormone cycles affect symptom severity, so it’s totally possible that your regular self-management skills are sufficient for most days but inadequate when your progesterone and estradiol levels are lower.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/adhd-symptoms-can-fluctuate-with-the-menstrual-cycle/