PMDD

I am writing this mostly to educate new friends on the condition. I used to hide the fact that I suffer from pmdd because I was embarrassed by it and thought people wouldn't understand. Many don't understand. This is a real condition that affects 5 percent of women. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD is a condition associated with severe emotional and physical problems that are linked closely to the menstrual cycle. Symptoms occur regularly in the second half of the cycle and end when menstruation begins or shortly thereafter. Both PMDD and PMS share symptoms in common that include depression, anxiety, tension, irritability and moodiness. What sets PMDD apart is its severity. Women with PMDD find that it has a very disruptive effect on their lives.


It can be treated through 

1. Medications - including antidepressants, antianxiety drugs, analgesics, hormones and diuretics.
2. Psychobehavioral - including exercise and psychotherapies (cognitive-behavioral, coping skills training, relaxation).
3. Nutritional - including diet modification, vitamins, minerals and herbal preparations

I have taken zoloft before, but hated it and wanted off antidepressants. Now, I am taking the birth control, YAZ. It gets slack on the commercials for being unhealthy, but I have been on it for several months and have not had any problems. Not all drugs are meant for everybody. Unfortunately, there is no scientific research on what exactly solves the problem of pmdd.

Now, this isn't any normal pms. I know that pmdd is starting to set in because I'll start getting anxiety and paranoia, my sleeping patterns change, and I'll start thinking about close relationships and things that are important to me that make me cry. As the week moves on, I'll start to isolate myself to only a few of trusted and loyal friends. Sometimes, I even isolate myself from everyone because the depression and moodiness is so bad, I don't want to strain them or offend them. I have done many things that have disrupted my life because of this. Coworkers have seen it. People who have lived with me have seen it. They came to just accept that this is apart of me and that I would come around soon enough. 

When I am going through this stage, it is important for me to have people be positive and supportive and to not criticize me for my behavior because I can't control it, even though I want to. Although the Yaz does help, it doesn't always help that much. It takes time to find the right medication for things like this because doctors do not know too much about it. 

If you think you know someone or may suffer from pmdd, the best thing to do is to do some research on it. 

http://pmdd.factsforhealth.org/what/ is a good start. Talk to your gynecologist, or even your general doctor for information.