A 32-year-old woman details her debilitating struggle with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a condition that drastically alters her personality and mental state for 10 days each month, causing severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, and how experts explain this under-recognized challenge.
A 32-year-old woman recounts her five-year battle with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a condition recently diagnosed but long-suspected, that severely impacts her life for 10 days every month. During her luteal phase, she experiences extreme irritability, debilitating brain fog, uncontrollable crying, depression, and suicidal ideation, leading her to question her job, relationship, and friendships. Despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle, therapy, and supplements, these habits become impossible during this phase, making her feel completely stuck and isolated due to the condition's under-recognition. She describes a drastic personality shift, feeling like a 'whole new woman' after her period, only for the cycle of dread to begin again. Dr. Sophie Behrman, a psychiatrist specializing in menstrual health, confirms that PMDD affects an estimated 1-3% of women, causing severe psychological and sometimes physical symptoms. She clarifies that PMDD isn't due to an abnormal hormone balance but rather how the brain reacts to falling progesterone levels before a period, leading to irritability, anxiety, depression, and impulsivity. Behrman acknowledges the reader's existing healthy habits as beneficial and suggests returning to the diagnosing doctor for further steps if symptoms don't improve, considering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and seeking peer support via resources like iapmd.org. The article emphasizes the importance of sharing the condition with trusted individuals for support and provides helplines for crisis support.
