I have been keeping a secret from my loved ones, but I wanted to share it tonight to kick off the start of PMDD awareness month which starts on April 1st. I was diagnosed with PMDD in November 2017 and for me to publicly share that with you is scary, and it makes me feel very vulnerable. Most importantly I wanted to share my story because PMDD doesn't have that much exposure and I wanted the women who related to my experience to go to their doctors with some knowledge and be able to speak up and be comforted that this is a real medical condition. Please seek help if you believe you have PMDD.
So what is PMDD? PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. No one knows the exact cause of PMDD, but there are a few theories of what causes it. Women with PMDD are hormone sensitive to the fluctuating hormone levels that occur every month. PMDD is not PMS; it’s PMS “on steroids.” According to the U.S Department of Health, over 90% of women experience premenstrual symptoms while PMDD affects up to 5% of women of reproductive age. While both PMS and PMDD have …show more content…
Over the course of a year, during the menstrual cycles, 5 or more of the following symptoms must be present. These symptoms occur the week or two before your period begins and disappear within a few days of the onset of bleeding:
Criteria to be diagnosed with PMDD:
-Markedly depressed mood, feelings of hopelessness, thoughts of suicide or self-deprecating thoughts (more than just feeling sad or "blue")
-Marked anxiety or tension (feeling "keyed up" or "on edge")
-Marked affective lability (severe mood swings, feeling like Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde; feeling suddenly sad or extremely sensitive to rejection)
-Persistent and marked anger or irritability or increased interpersonal conflicts
-Decreased interest in usual activities (work, school, friends, hobbies)
-Subjective sense of difficulty concentrating
-Lethargy, easy fatigability, or marked lack of
So what is PMDD? PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. No one knows the exact cause of PMDD, but there are a few theories of what causes it. Women with PMDD are hormone sensitive to the fluctuating hormone levels that occur every month. PMDD is not PMS; it’s PMS “on steroids.” According to the U.S Department of Health, over 90% of women experience premenstrual symptoms while PMDD affects up to 5% of women of reproductive age. While both PMS and PMDD have …show more content…
Over the course of a year, during the menstrual cycles, 5 or more of the following symptoms must be present. These symptoms occur the week or two before your period begins and disappear within a few days of the onset of bleeding:
Criteria to be diagnosed with PMDD:
-Markedly depressed mood, feelings of hopelessness, thoughts of suicide or self-deprecating thoughts (more than just feeling sad or "blue")
-Marked anxiety or tension (feeling "keyed up" or "on edge")
-Marked affective lability (severe mood swings, feeling like Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde; feeling suddenly sad or extremely sensitive to rejection)
-Persistent and marked anger or irritability or increased interpersonal conflicts
-Decreased interest in usual activities (work, school, friends, hobbies)
-Subjective sense of difficulty concentrating
-Lethargy, easy fatigability, or marked lack of