Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Is Real — Let’s Talk About It
Symptoms, diagnosis, and how it’s different from PMS
A couple weeks ago, I had an intensely difficult time. I’d been feeling bloated, antisocial, moody, irritable, depressed, disconnected, and apathetic. The list goes on and on. I could barely make it through my work days, and afterwards I couldn’t seem to accomplish simple, everyday tasks. I felt paralyzed. So I’d sit on the couch, binging on junk food and crying over nothing — which would be unusual except that I’d just ovulated, and all that is actually normal for me at that point in my cycle.
The problem is that these symptoms last 10 days or longer and interfere with my daily life and relationships: I uncharacteristically pick trivial fights with my husband, cancel plans with friends, and can’t focus at work. At previous jobs, I’d call in sick because I couldn’t get out of bed or get my head on quite right, and I’d wonder what was wrong with me. Then, a few days after the start of my period, I’d feel like a completely different person. My work and personal productivity would be stellar, I’d apologize deeply to my husband for the fighting, and issues I was crying over that had seemed so urgent just days before simply didn’t bother me anymore.
