PMDD and life

Hello I’m feeling like there is so much that I need direction and help with I don’t know where to begin. I suppose I’ve spent all my life struggling with what now I see as effects of Pms or PmDD. Im generally a highly sensitive person anyway and my mood definitely get affected Id probably say soon after ovulation. my cycles are very regular 27 or 28 day cycles but yet I actually think I ovulate quite early on in it like on dat 10 or so…and then I feel a drop. the anxiety goes as soon as I bleed and it just turns to tired but calm. I was extremely zen floating on air in both my pregnancies…. my husband thinks I was a dream! He definitely thinks I have PMDD and has urged me to get help as he can also see that its severely affected my mother. I agree ( in case you are thinking I’ve been duped by a mysoginistic, domineering husband!) Although he is no walk in the park!!!! And I definitely need to steer clear of him before my cycle. I see all these threads about perfect supportive understanding husbands and actually I sort of think he senses its coming and instead of being blissfully understanding he’s not. maybe its a myth these other husbands?! Anyway this is a separate issue! So I suppose Im wondering if I need to get anything checked out physically to determine any underlying conditions that could be mucking up with my hormones? Is the dutch test something applicable to me? I am trying to work out how the progesterone and easotregoen work, which hormone is it that’s affecting me most.. based from my description? I spoke to my GP yesterday and said that I’ve been doing my research and explained my symptoms that I get severe anxiety irritability and lack of patience compared to usual with my young kids, that I have more personal conflicts, I feel low, intrusive thoughts, paranoid that everyone hates me etc…. and the fact that I was in bliss in my pregnancies. And she things that no doubt I do have PMDD and what would even be the point in spending money on expensive tests when the symptoms are there and real. She hadn’t heard of the intermittent use of Sertraline or SSRs and worried about the side affects of coming on and off them and that it won’t have build up (usually 6 weeks for it to work ) and she also suggested the use of contraceptive pill as an alternative. What are your views on this? We have left it as she prescribed me sertraline for me to sort of experiment with intermittent use and see how I feel for a month . dosage im sort of guessing from my own research 50mg a day. Anyway I know you can offer medical advice….but as you can tell Im all over the place and very confused!

 

Answer:

Thank you for being here just as you are – you may feel undirected and think you’re all over the place, we see you showing up as an authentic and beautiful human. You are right, we don’t offer medical advice, and we encourage you to continue to lean into your relationship with your GP, or a medical professional that you trust, to get the care and medications that you need.

Have you acknowledged that you have arguably taken the hardest step to take on this journey? The first one! I hope you’ve celebrated yourself for doing so. After you’ve celebrated yourself, take a few minutes to reflect on that: how did you feel when you decided to meet with your GP and discuss Sertraline? Why did you feel that way (hint: it’s a thought!). With this thought and feeling at the forefront of your mind, what do you think your next step is and how does it support you reaching your overarching goal? You’re already on your way to creating a life you love in a body you understand more thoroughly. You’re right where you’re meant to be.

Maisie and Mars did a series of goal coaching calls this spring and summer, and I highly recommend that you rewatch those and use the worksheets to help you start to build your road map. Additionally, this weekend’s Autumn Workshop will specifically address decision making – perfect timing for you! We hope you can make it or rewatch it soon. Come back to us for more coaching and lean into the Facebook Community for questions about how others have navigated their PMDD – there is a wealth of knowledge and experience in TFC.