The one and only way your doctor can hope to diagnose a possible case of pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is through open communication between you and your physician. As a woman who has suffered with PMDD for most of my adult life, I can honestly say that the most freeing moment was when I confessed to my doctor the true nature of what I was experiencing from month to month. Shame and ignorance had kept me quiet for too long.
Living with PMDD was a roller-coaster that I couldn't get off. I knew that my PMS seemed to trigger more emotions than other women seemed to experience, but I had no context for understanding how different things really were. After a number of years of personal trauma caused by my PMDD, I finally shared my concerns with a group of women. By talking about it, I discovered a close friend who understood my fears and frustration. Come to find out she too experienced a day or more of completely mindless frustration, irritability and anger and spent about half her month trying to control herself before her cycle began. As friends, we tried to support one another, but over time, even this was not enough.
Finally I spoke with my doctor. I described my symptoms. The physical issues of normal PMS were minor as compared to the psychological trauma I was experiencing. Irrational irritability. Crying. Emotional outbursts. Intense anxiety to the point of physical pain in my shoulders and arms. Anger. Depression. These symptoms controlled my emotions for two weeks of every month and then miraculously disappeared. In their absence, I felt love for my family and guilt for having been so out of control for the preceding two weeks. Unfortunately, the cycle would repeat month after month after month.
Talking to my doctor about the specific timing of my cyclical symptoms, she quickly diagnosed it as PMDD. She prescribed Lexapro, an SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) drug which had shown great success in other PMDD cases. Within the first two weeks I felt the difference. My symptoms of anxiety, irritability and depression were gone and my ability to feel love, compassion and joy were in right proportion to who I am as a wife, mother, daughter, and friend. While not everyone with PMDD will respond well to the exact same medications, the conversation with your doctor is the starting point for regaining control over your entire life, one month at a time.