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Girl Shares How Menstruation Makes Her Suicidal

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Women make jokes about their crazy mood and ridiculous behavior when having PMS. However, one girl’s story shows that it is far more complicated than dismissing women’s irrational mood while on their period as simply “PMSing.”

Lucie from England was a happy child. But, severe depression, anxiety, and panic attacks overcame her when she hit the age of 13. At some point, she was very much willing to die. At 14 years old, she was even compelled to leave school to stay in a mental institution.

It was only when she reached the age of 28 that doctors have finally given her condition a name: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD, a severe form of PMS. She decided to undergo hysterectomy to finally stop her episodes.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines PMDD as a more serious case of PMS. PMDD causes severe irritability, depression, or anxiety in the week or two before the period starts. These symptoms usually go away two to three days after the period.

Lucie remembered her teenage years filled with dark thoughts and extreme mood swings. A year after having her menstruation, she also found herself beginning self-harm.

Each time that she sought help from professionals, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The doctors’ favorite diagnosis was bipolar disorder.

“The scariest thing for me was depersonalisation, where I would feel like I was completely disconnected from my body, and like I was in a dream. At points I would find that I didn’t recognize the people that were around me. I knew that I should know them, but their faces just didn’t make any sense to me,” she told BBC.

Lucie, however, felt that something never quite add up, particularly when she became pregnant at 16. Her pregnancy made her calm and balance. She was functioning perfectly. But, the bouts of depressions and suicidal thoughts came back again as soon as she had her menstruation back. She found herself struggling with unbearable mood swings again. This cycle repeated when she got pregnant at the age of 23. She felt mentally stable but things were worse again when her period returned.

At this point, she stood ground against medical professionals who would otherwise prescribe anti-depressants again. She decided to end her PMDD by undergoing hysterectomy at the age of 28.

PMDD affects up to 5 percent of women of childbearing age. Symptoms of PMDD include:

• Lasting irritability or anger that may affect other people
• Feelings of sadness or despair, or even thoughts of suicide
• Feelings of tension or anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Mood swings or crying often
• Lack of interest in daily activities and relationships
• Trouble thinking or focusing
• Tiredness or low energy
• Food cravings or binge eating
• Trouble sleeping
• Feeling out of control
• Physical symptoms, such as cramps, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain
Causes of PMDD remains unknown but experts think hormonal changes are big factor. Serotonin, a brain chemical that changes throughout the menstrual cycle, may also play a part.

The post Girl Shares How Menstruation Makes Her Suicidal appeared first on Health Aim.


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