To pill or not to pill

I've been considering going on the pill for sometime now to see if it would make my periods more bearable because my friends say it helps with your periods. My periods are always really heavy and last 7 days and for the first couple of days I'm always in so much pain it gets unbearable and to the point where I can't get out of bed, I guess it runs in the family because my mum used to pass out from her period pains. I guess I'm just wondering if it's worth it because I don't really like the idea of it changing my hormones and possibly making me feel moody/depressed like it did for a few of my friends. Any thoughts or suggestions help, thanks!