Guys, another post about PMS, blood, and tampons. It's the last one I swear. At least for a couple days. Hey at least I warn ya!
In a previous post (which blogger tried to eat) I mentioned about the insanity I go through a couple days before my period starts. I honestly thought that what I was feeling was just "in my head". Then my lovely love Deus Ex Machina told me to look up PMDD. Being the good follower I am, I googled it and got the shock of my life.
PMDD stands for premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
As I began reading the websites about what it was and the symptoms, it was like I was literally reading a script of exactly what I go through each month. I had no idea that it was real let alone had a name. While 75% of women suffer from mild to moderate forms of PMS, only about 5% of women suffer from PMDD. The difference between PMS and PMDD has to do with severity and PMDD is disruptive to the life of the woman where as PMS is discomforting it does not actually interfere with daily activities on the level that PMDD does.
As I began reading the websites about what it was and the symptoms, it was like I was literally reading a script of exactly what I go through each month. I had no idea that it was real let alone had a name. While 75% of women suffer from mild to moderate forms of PMS, only about 5% of women suffer from PMDD. The difference between PMS and PMDD has to do with severity and PMDD is disruptive to the life of the woman where as PMS is discomforting it does not actually interfere with daily activities on the level that PMDD does. I know for me, the week before my period is pure hell. Not only for me but for anyone stupid enough to breathe the same air I am breathing. I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. I get irritated that I am irritated. I want to just hit, kill, punch, murder something. I have no idea why. I cry for no reason which pisses me off because I hate to cry. Then crying makes me even more irritable to the point where I just want to run away from my own body. Sometimes I don't sleep but sometimes those few days are the only days I actually do sleep in a month. Bloating. Don't get me started on the bloating. I swear I gain ten pounds during those days. At least. Then the day after my period actually starts, all of this just disappears.
So why am I making a post about this again? Because I know I am not the only person that feels like their crazy has gone crazy. That is exactly what it feels like during those few days. I also know if I had no idea what it was that was happening to me then most likely other women won't know either. I also know that unless they have a good doctor who actually listens to their symptoms and takes it seriously that most likely their symptoms will be ignored and chalked up to "it's just that time of the month". While yes it is because "it is that time of the month" what you're experiencing is not typical. It can be treated. It is extremely common in women with major depressive conditions such as bipolar. So when you go to your doctor ask them about PMDD. It is real and can be treated. It is not just in your head.
Here are a few websites that have more info about PMDD:
1 comment:
I've been having some really strange thyroid problems that have come on sometime during my cycle. HypERthyroid stuff usually, and sometimes it disables me completely. Tremors, heat waves, weight loss, sometimes even hypoglycemic attacks. But it all stops as soon as I get my period. I am convinced they're related. PMDD? Maybe. But my TSH is not producing really at all. So I can only wonder. Our bodies are so mysterious! (I did see a endocrinologist and he said nothing is technically wrong with my thyroid itself). Weird. Thanks for the additional info!
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