#the hypersomnia has been going on for months but I’m undiagnosed | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

beastcpu · 5 years

Text

What is PMDD?

PMDD stands for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It is considered a severe and disabling form of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). About 85% of women worldwide experience PMS, but only around 5% of women are diagnosed with PMDD. The main difference is that PMS does not usually interfere with daily functioning. PMS symptoms do not include severe depression and anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts.

PMDD is considered a hormone-based mood disorder, and while the exact cause is still unknown, a common theory is that women with the disorder are more sensitive to the normal estrogen and progesterone fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle. There are no blood tests that can help diagnose PMDD because the majority of women with PMDD have normal hormone levels.

To be diagnosed with PMDD you have to have at least 5 of the following symptoms:

- mood swings

- irritability, anger, or increased interpersonal conflicts

- depressed mood, hopelessness, self-deprecating thoughts, suicidal thoughts

- anxiety or tension, feeling on edge

- decreased interest in usual activities (like work, hobbies, friends, school)

- difficulty concentrating

- low energy or fatigue

- change in appetite (overeating, undereating, food cravings)

- hypersomnia or insomnia

- feeling overwhelmed or out of control

- physical symptoms (tender breasts, headache, joint or muscle pain, bloating, weight gain)

These symptoms have to occur during the week before menstruation and improve within a few days after menstruation starts.

PMDD is heritable, this means that if your mother or grandmother has it, you're more likely to have it as well.

PMDD does not influence how heavy your flow is, or how painful your cramps are.

PMDD often goes undiagnosed, or women are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe depression or severe anxiety. One of the reasons for this is that periods are not usually spoken about, especially outside of our own homes. I got my period at only 10 years old and I soon started experiencing almost all of these symptoms. I would sometimes miss up to two weeks of school because I had PMDD symptoms one week, and unbearable cramps the next. My mother told me I couldn't stay home every single month, that I had to learn to live with my symptoms, because every woman does. I found out I have PMDD only this year, and I had to be the one to tell her what she'd been experiencing almost all her life for ¼ of every month wasn't normal. I'm now trying to spread awareness about this disabling disorder.

If you think you might have PMDD, please see your doctor about it. There aren't a lot of options for treatment, but getting diagnosed helped me better understand what's going on with me, and helped me realize I'm not alone. We can get through this.

#women's health #menstruation #periods #feminism #mental health #mental illness #mental health awareness #PMDD #living with pmdd #actually pmdd #pmddsupport #PMS

308 notes · View notes