What We’re Talking About In This Episode Issues the pill can cause that doctors don’t often talk about Jolene’s personal story and why she chose to focus on this aspect of women’s health A look into some of the research that indicates that post-birth control side effects are real Preventative measures women can take to avoid long-term effects of the pill, and healthy ways to go off of it   Episode Summary Are you one of the many women who’ve experienced symptoms after going off of birth control, only for your doctor to tell you it’s all in your head? Today we’re talking to Dr. Jolene Brighten, the leading expert in post birth control syndrome, about what doctors don’t say about the pill, what women can do to manage the side effects, and coming off the pill safely. Dr. Jolene is a functional medicine naturopathic doctor and is the founder of Rubus Health. She focuses on helping women who want to go off the pill and balance their hormones as well as those who want to stay on the pill while preventing long-term consequences. Today we talk about the symptoms countless women experience when they go off the pill, as well as the long-term effects of being on the pill that most women aren’t aware of. She shares a patient’s success story of going off the pill and all the positive changes that took place. We also talk about some of the things women who want to stay on the pill can do to minimize long-term effects. Are you thinking about going off the pill? Did you go off and experience some of these symptoms? Tell us your story in the comments on the episode page!   Quotes: “Only a woman living in her body knows what’s normal and not normal for her.” 08:10 “It’s not that your body is betraying or revolting against you. Your body has been trying to communicate that something is not right for a while now, and it’s essentially had duct tape over its mouth, and when you stopped the pill, you took that duct tape off” 17:28 “If you don’t know what your purpose is or you feel like you’re not living in it, re-examine your health. It’s Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. If your physical body isn’t being cared for and provided for, it’s so much harder to show up in this world and do the work you need to do” 30:32   Resources Mentioned: Dr. Jolene Brighten’s Website Her free gift for us: Quick Start Detox Guide to help balance hormones Follow Dr. Brighten on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn   Check out the full show notes page Keep up with everything Dr. Mariza Follow Dr. Mariza on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube   Please review us on iTunes.  And, if you haven’t already, SUBSCRIBE!