There are a few days in a month when I am so incredibly depressed that I can hardly bear to leave my house. There have been suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, and depressing feelings. There are many reasons for it, as it is something that has only recently occurred in the last few years. Relationships, Money, Family, and Work. Wellness. contraindication. proprietors. My monthly episodes of poor mental health are essentially the result of every kind of life issue that could arise for any one of us at some point.
I didn’t learn about PMDD until last year while doing research for another piece on women’s health. A severe version of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which mainly affects mental health, is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder. This hormone-based mood disorder, which affects two to eight women out of every 100, can result in a variety of emotional and behavioral symptoms that are a lot worse than PMS. They include everything from exhaustion, inattention, and agitation to aggression, sadness, and anxiety.
Many people suffer from this crippling illness, which causes significant monthly disruptions to their psychological and physical health. According to one study, women with PMDD may lose three years of quality-adjusted life if they don’t receive treatment. However, in some cases, it can be fatal. According to a 2021 study, women with PMDD have an almost seven-fold increased risk of attempting suicide. And yet, not much is known about it at all these days.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used by medical professionals worldwide, did not include PMDD until 2013. The inclusion of PMDD in the International Classification of Diseases in 2019 marked the official global validation of the diagnosis. Anyone who has studied medical misogyny and how a long history of ignoring female medical issues has hampered research, diagnosis, and development will not find any of this surprising. After all, some clinicians openly questioned whether PMDD was real until not too long ago, in 2002.
