Finding Myself in a Sea of Symptoms: My Journey with PMDD
For years, the weeks leading up to my period weren’t just about cramps and cravings. There was something else, something darker, something I couldn’t explain. Every month, like clockwork, the bleakness would creep in, transforming into a thought pattern that played on repeat: what if I just ended it all?
I hadn’t told anyone, convinced that the catastrophic thoughts were just me being "dramatic" or weak. Then, in 2023, a casual tweet changed everything. A woman shared that she constantly felt sad and depressed in the weeks before her period. It resonated, like a voice echoing my own struggles.
I delved deeper, and I found it: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD.
Knowing that name, that specific diagnosis, made a world of difference. It wasn’t just me. I wasn’t alone.
Not that diagnosis came easy.
I sought help before stumbling upon that tweet, but the doctor I saw seemed dismissive. "It’s hormonal," he’d said practically, not offering a diagnosis.
The dismissive attitude was about as helpful as a bandaid on a broken leg. I needed validation, not empty platitudes. How many other women are told to just "think happy thoughts" before their peirod? How many doctors minimize what we experience?
Since that initial discovery, I’ve built my own support network. Deep down, I know I’m not gonna get professional help right now. Yes, doctors don’t take PMDD seriously. It’s a stark reality: It took internet strangers for me to feel seen, to find solace in shared experiences. I found my tribe amongst women who also experience those two cursed weeks.
My boyfriend knows, too. He sends me text reminders whenever my demons return. We’ll call it "pre-period prep." My friends know too. We’ve created a safe space where we share things like playlists or little gifts, because sometimes you need tangible reminders that you’re incredibly normal for feeling this way.
Because PMDD is just not discussed enough.
I’m tired of educators repeat that "it’s all in your head." No amount of positive thinking will erase the darkness.
I know I’m lucky to have found other women who get it. They’re my lifeline to feeling less alone in a body that betrays me for two weeks out of every month.
Fundamentally, PMDD is hemmed in by secrecy, by societal shame around menstruation. PMDD steals two weeks of my life, a time when I need to just survive. I dread it, but my wonderful isn’t just existing. I doodle, I sunbathe.
The key is understanding that I’m not exaggerating.
I deserve peace, and I’m fighting for existence, for space, for validation.
Until I can find professional help, I’ll keep searching for joy within those weeks.
There’s this general thought that if men ever suffered from PMDD, they’d find a solution faster. It’s true: It feels like only the sufferers truly get it. We carry this secret, this whispered experience. Maybe one day, there will be awareness, but for now, there’s comfort in knowing it’s not just me huddled under this weight
and researched this more, and offered support not platitudes.
What strategies can individuals with PMDD employ to build a supportive network?
## Finding Support in the Face of PMDD
**Host:** Today we’re speaking with a woman who wants to share her experience with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. Welcome to the show.
**Guest:** Thanks for having me.
**Host:** You mentioned that for years, you struggled with debilitating symptoms leading up to your period. Can you tell us what that was like?
**Guest:** It was incredibly isolating. It wasn’t just physical discomfort. I’d be overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, despair, even suicidal thoughts. Every month, it felt like I was drowning in a sea of negativity.
**Host:** That sounds incredibly difficult.
**Guest:** It was. For a long time, I convinced myself I was being dramatic, or somehow weak. I didn’t talk to anyone about it. Then, in 2023, I saw a tweet from another woman describing her own experience with PMDD. It was like a lightbulb moment.
**Host:** So discovering the name for this condition made a big difference?
**Guest:** Huge difference. It validated my feelings, knowing I wasn’t alone. However, getting a diagnosis wasn’t easy.
**Host:** You encountered dismissiveness from a medical professional?
**Guest:** Unfortunately, yes. One doctor dismissed my concerns, saying it was just “hormonal,” without any further explanation or offer of treatment.
**Host:** That’s incredibly frustrating.
**Guest:** It was. Feeling misunderstood by someone who should be helping you can be incredibly disheartening.
**Host:** What message would you like to share with other women who might be going through something similar?
**Guest:** You are not alone. There is a community out there ready to support you. Don’t be afraid to seek help, even if it takes time to find a doctor who truly listens and understands. You deserve validation and support.
**Host:** Thank you for sharing your story.
**Note:**
This interview is based on the personal account given in the provided text and does not include any medical advice. For information on PMDD diagnosis and treatment, please consult a medical professional and reputable sources like the one cited in the search result [[1](https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/treating-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder)].