I am a 21-year-old (almost graduate) journalism student who has grown a passion for media throughout my four years at TU Dublin. I have developed an interest in storytelling through various forms, such as writing articles on current affairs, music, culture, health and the arts.
During my final year I also served as Chief-sub editor and co-creatively directed Currently Magazine, which granted me the opportunity to specialise in styling, photo editing, creative direction, digital art and adjusting to being in an editorial role. My article in It’s Not You It’s PMDD, explores the an underrepresented issue of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, a condition which has mental and physical impacts on women/people with periods during their menstrual cycles. I hope to grow and work more in contemporary journalism, as my creative side merged with my journalistic skills has given me a hopeful and open mindset to start my career in the broader media industry, and traditional reporting.
Alicia Smith reports on the lived experience of those with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Imagine having unexplainable and unmanageable dark thoughts, anxiety and rage for days on end, every single month of the year. This is the lived reality of people living with ‘Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder’, a condition which is often described as ‘the evil older sister’ of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).
Menstruating people deal with many hormonal and physical challenges throughout their cycle. PMS describes the series of physical and emotional symptoms endured on the days leading up to a period, with unbearable cramping, unpredictable mood swings, and varied other symptoms which interrupt their day-to-day life.
Although these symptoms are common for many menstruators, some symptoms cross the line into extremity, leading many to question if what they are feeling is ‘normal’ PMS.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, also known as PMDD, is a cyclical mood disorder. PMDD can burden women with severe symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and can lead to uncontrollable episodes of despair, or even suicidal ideation. According to the Journal of Women's Health published by Mary Ann Liebert, people with PMDD are almost 7 times more likely to commit suicide.
These symptoms will usually occur during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The Luteal phase is the fourth stage of the menstrual cycle, one to two weeks before menstruation (when your period starts). Hormones drop during the Luteal phase, heightening PMDD symptoms and leaving many feeling debilitated, and desperate for answers and medical support.
PMDD affects 5-8% of people with periods, and considering the condition was only added to the International Classification of Diseases in 2022, it is hugely underdiagnosed, and has left women in a persistent search for the answer to their intense, unexplainable symptoms. Some people with PMDD have described their peak days of symptoms as ‘hell week’.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a condition that requires in-depth understanding for both the menstrual cycle and mental health, two issues that have for many years been taboo. This leads people with PMDD to go a huge portion of their lives unaware of the condition's existence.
Ally McHugh, a psychotherapist and co-founder of The PMDD Collective discussed her motivations for starting the collective, and the many misunderstandings regarding PMDD.
“A lot of people [with PMDD] are diagnosed with bipolar, depression, anxiety, sometimes personality disorders as well. There’s definitely lots of learning to be done around PMDD,” said McHugh.
Physical symptoms such as; aches and pains, severe tenderness in breasts during ovulation, and pain throughout ovulation are all indicators of PMDD according to McHugh.
She explained that as of now, there is not one ‘cure’ to PMDD, as it falls under various medical categories. The condition is not only a mental health issue, but it can also appear as a gynaecological, neurological, or endocrinological issue making it a “medical mystery”.
“It's all about finding a clinician that understands PMDD. You might meet a gynaecologist that has no idea about it. You might meet a psychiatrist that knows loads about it. And it really varies. So it's a bit of a potluck, to be honest,” she said.
This is a condensed version of this article. The full article is available to read at: https://medium.com/@alicianamasmith/its-not-you-it-s-pmdd-eca7d8cc30f7