PMDD?

I have, I dealt with PPD briefly and I also support women postpartum. What are you experiencing?

I have pmdd and it's bloody awful

@✨Wis 🇭🇹 just moody, rage and trouble managing my emotions , sometimes it feels like I have loss of control, feelings of hopelessness / depression…I started feeling this was after what I’d call my first mental break. Just very out of character for me. It does seem to be around / before period begins

@Yasmin how did you get diagnosed?

I've been diagnosed pmdd for 5 years now. But I've dealt with it since I was 12

@Heather how were you diagnosed ?

@Sophia so mine usually starts around 14 days before my period but can come out of nowhere, I have the exact same difficulties as you describe, it took some time to get an actual diagnosis as there isn't a lot of research done on it. I went through my gp and I said that I believe I have pmdd, all of my symptoms line up with it, especially as it's usually about 2-3 weeks before my period. I suggest to try and seek out a good doctor that you trust, I got throbbed off a lot due to the fact I already have depression, CPTSD and anxiety. You will most probably be told to try some anti depressants and to be put on some kind of contraception, it's a process and not an easy one, there's a couple of groups on Facebook where there are people that struggle/have pmdd, I also recommend to seek out those group for support and understanding and advice. I've gone through about 6 different anti depressants and 4 different contraception, still have found nothing that helps.

@Yasmin I was worried about how much I’d be taken seriously, I’m pretty sure my fiancé thinks I’m just being mean but I literally can’t help it. I’ll look into those fb groups, I won’t be able to conquer this alone

@Sophia once you have insurance, the first thing I would do is a THOROUGH full panel blood work to see if you have any deficiencies, what you’re estrogen, progesterone levels are as well. A lot of PMDD are caused by how depleted pregnancy and birth leaves your body and a supplement can help you get better. And then you can talk to your Dr if medication or therapy is a better solution. In the meantime, I’d work on getting adequate sleep, eating a nutrient dense diet, continue taking prenatal vitamins, getting some sunlight, getting personal time and maybe light workout cause that can help a lot.

It is really hard to deal with, feels like something else just takes over sometimes. I feel so much guilt for my family when I am in my pmdd faze, I probably have about a week where I'm okay, but literally feel like I'm trying to make up for all of the chaos my pmdd caused 🤦🏼‍♀️ Please do reach out, you don't have to do this alone, no matter how crazy it gets, you'll always have the groups support 🤗

I explained my symptoms to my dr abd he immediately diagnosed me and we started working on a treatment plan. Bc didn't work for me ultimately I had to add a mood stabilizer to my med line up and that's worked fairly decently for me.

@✨Wis 🇭🇹 thank you much. I will look into the blood panel test for sure and focus more on the basics

Yes to PMDD. A psychiatrist may be your best bet, I feel like MDs and OBGYNs are hit and miss. There are some independent companies that focus on PMDD and other womens issues like Allara Health and Midi Health that may be covered by your insurance

There is a good group on Reddit as well under /PMDD and /PMDDmoms

Also if helpful, EMDR therapy could be good for this if you have any traumas that you want to talk it out. This helped me immensely, because once I could therapy-away my traumas, everything else got easier. Now my symptoms are minimal

@Brooke I’ll look into this, thank you

I suffer with PMDD. Well I think it is, when I spoke to a psychiatrist, they said it is likely PMDD. I was diagnosed with BPD in 2018. However, to speed up the diagnoses, I wrote a diary for 3 months. Included dates, times and pictures of when I had ‘an episode’ and was self destructive. It’s true not much research is done on it and it so should be! When I did the diary, I noticed the pattern I had every month. I changed my antidepressants and kept a period app so I knew when I was due. I’d always have a rough time 2 weeks before I was due. I fell pregnant and have only just given birth so I’m still waiting for my period to come back. However I am from UK! Hope you are ok and try know when you are due on so you can be aware ❤️ Therapy helped me massively!

There’s a women in the UK called Vicky Patterson, she’s a reality tv star who got diagnosed with it and one of the first celebrities I have ever seen raise awareness on it! Definitely check out her instagram if you have it x