PMDD
PMDD Therapy Offers You A Safe Space To Talk Openly, Address Symptoms & Heal
It could be that you frequently experience mood swings, feeling sad, tearful and highly sensitive one moment and angry and irritable the next, even though you are not normally a volatile person. Perhaps you’re experiencing extreme depression and even suicidal itidation, which feels frightening and confusing. Vacillations in mood, increased isolation, decreased interest in usual activities and irritability, especially at specific times in the month, may be making it hard to focus, make decisions and connect and communicate with others, leading to conflicts in interpersonal relationships and struggles with work.
With heightened sensitivity, irritability, low energy, brain fog, anxiety and a depressed mood, you are likely struggling and isolating more and more, especially during certain times of the month. It may be hard to talk with friends, family and other important people in your life about what is going on, especially if you’re struggling to understand it yourself. Feeling increasingly detached and with emotions all over the pace, you may be worried that something is seriously wrong with you.
You Are Not Alone
While the cause of PMDD isn’t entirely clear and is continually being studied, research indicates that trauma, particularly sexual assualts, may increase one’s suspectibilty to developing the disorder. PMDD may also be genetic, can develop during or following a pregnancy or miscarriage and/or onset when a woman is in her 20s or 30s.
While symptoms are unique to each individual, depression, extreme depression that includes suicidal idiation, anxiety, fatigue, irritalibity, isolation and severe mood swings are common. For most, PMDD symptoms also present themselves for a week or two before menstruation, which is half of the month and half of your life while you are experiencing it. With such ongoing and severe impact to normal functionality, it’s no wonder that individuals struggling with PMDD feel isolated, detached, frustrated and overwhelmed.
Understanding PMDD
The International Association For Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD), a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire hope and end suffering for those affected through peer support, education, research and advocacy and a vision to create a world where people with PMDD and PME (premenstrual exacerbation) can survive and thrive, defines PMDD as:
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a cyclical, hormone-based mood disorder with symptoms arising during the premenstrual, or luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and subsiding within a few days of menstruation. It affects an estimated 5.5% of women and AFAB individuals of reproductive age. While PMDD is directly connected to the menstrual cycle, it is not a hormone imbalance. PMDD is a severe negative reaction in the brain to the natural rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone. It is a suspected cellular disorder in the brain. Symptoms can worsen over time and or around reproductive events such as menarche (the first menstrual cycle), pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, and perimenopause.
Information on the IAPMD website continues to explain that, “Those with PMDD are at increased risk for suicide and suicidal behavior. Many people with PMDD, though not all, have a history of sexual trauma or depression. There is no blood or saliva test to diagnose PMDD although these tests can rule out other underlying disorders. The only way to diagnose PMDD is by tracking symptoms daily for at least two menstrual cycles.”
PMDD was added to the list of depressive disorders in the DSM-5 in 2013, giving psychiatric validation to this often misunderstood, underdiagnosed and difficult to treat disorder. In order to be diagnosed with PMDD, a woman must exhibit at least five of the 11 main symptoms.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s (NHI) National Library of Medicine, “In the majority of menstrual cycles, at least 5 symptoms must be present in the final week before the onset of menses, start to improve within a few days after the onset of menses, and become minimal or absent in the week postmenses.”
These symptoms include:
- Marked affective lability (e.g., mood swings, feeling suddenly sad or tearful, or increased sensitivity to rejection
- Marked irritability or anger or increased interpersonal conflicts
- Markedly depressed mood, feelings of hopelessness, or self-deprecating thoughts
- Marked anxiety, tension, and/or feelings of being keyed up or on edge
- Decreased interest in usual activities
- Subjective difficulty in concentration
- Lethargy, easy fatigability, or marked lack of energy
- Marked change in appetite; overeating or specific food cravings
- Hypersomnia or insomnia
- A sense of being overwhelmed or out of control
- Physical symptoms such as breast tenderness or swelling; joint or muscle pain, a sensation of “bloating” or weight gain
If you’re unsure if you have PMDD or PME, IAPMD’s PMDD/PME Self Screen quiz may help.
While this diagnosis and the words explaining it can be helpful, they do not accurately describe every PMDD experience. No words can. When people with a reproductive system have the symptoms described above, it feels like something is very wrong with them. If this resonates with your experience, you may be struggling to understand and communicate what you are trying to deal with, which can further increase stress, anxiety and depression.
PMDD comes with many challenges; however, it is possible to better understand it, increase awareness around how it affects you specifically, and learn and develop effective ways to navigate those particularly difficult weeks every month. With the support of a skilled and compassionate PMDD therapist, you can learn how to track and manage symptoms, effectively communicate what is happening with your loved ones and have a safe space to talk openly, explore and address symptoms and heal.
PMDD Therapy Can Help You Better Understand PMDD, Manage Symptoms And Live With More Ease
As a PMDD therapist and a woman who lived with premenstrual dysphoric disorder for 14 years, I know both personally and professionally the extreme distress that PMDD can create. I also know that with tracking, increased awareness, compassionate support, nutritional changes, movement, emotional regulation tools and self-care strategies, you can learn ways to take better care of yourself, communicate your needs and function with increased ease in a world that never seems to slow down.
Although many women’s symptoms often present similarly, we are each unique and have our own experience with PMDD, which is why I’ll meet you where you are as we work together to develop a therapeutic strategy that best addresses and supports your symptoms, needs, history, lifestyle and therapy goals.
As depression, anxiety and trauma often accompany PMDD, in addition to talk therapy, developing and strengthening resources and accessing tools like tracking, journaling and other self-care strategies, we may also decide to utilize effective somatic healing modalities. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, particularly, can significantly help with processing trauma and mitigating symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and more.
Unfortunately, there is no “cure” for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, although there are many effective strategies, techniques, tools, skills and modalities that we can explore and you can implement that can provide significant relief. Even just working with a trusted therapist who understands PMDD from the inside-out and having a safe space to share what is happening can make a positive difference in releasing stress and in how you feel.
I’ve been helping women and those with a reproductive system for a decade better navigate PMDD, providing safety, compassion and validation, both as a therapist and as a woman who lived with PMDD for almost a decade and a half. I’m here to listen and will encourage you to ask questions and talk openly as we work together to figure out what forms of healing and changes you can make that will be beneficial for you.
Developing an increased awareness of your experience with PMDD, being kind, gentle and focusing on what you need, as well as learning how to communicate and ask for and receive help, can go a long way in helping you live with more ease. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies and identify and track improvements as you implement realistic changes. Whether that be exploring hormone therapy, mindfulness, nutrition, movement, mediation, lifestyle adjustments and/or strengthening confidence and communication skills, I’ll be there to support you both practically and compassionately as you learn how to bring more awareness, functionality and peace into your life.
Begin Living With More Ease
If you know or think that you may have PMDD and are located in the Denver area, I can help. PMDD can be a scary experience; however, with compassionate support, effective guidance and practical strategies, it is entirely possible to learn how to manage premenstrual dysphoric disorder and experience significant relief. I invite you to contact me today to schedule a complimentary call. You can share your symptoms, experience, needs and therapy goals with me, ask any questions that you have about PMDD counseling and my practice and we can discuss how to most effectively work together so I can best support you on your healing journey.
I also offer online therapy to anyone living in the state of Colorado. If this format better serves your needs and lifestyle, I can meet you virtually from the comfort of your home through a secure and confidential online plattform.
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