Everyone is a Mess/PMDD Post

I have PMDD... anyone else?


PMDD is PreMenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. To say it is like PMS on steroids would be a gross understatement. It's bad. Real bad. Kind of like a lunar cyclical bipolarism.

Wikipedia, bring us the symptom and diagnosis list...

The main symptoms, which can be disabling, include

• feelings of deep sadness or despair, possible suicide ideation
• feelings of tension or anxiety
• increased sensitivity to rejection or criticism
• panic attacks
• mood swings, crying
• lasting irritability or anger, increased interpersonal conflicts. Typically sufferers are unaware of the impact they have on those close to them
• apathy or disinterest in daily activities and relationships
• difficulty concentrating
• fatigue
• food cravings or binge eating
• insomnia or hypersomnia; sleeping more than usual, or (in a smaller group of sufferers) being unable to sleep
• feeling overwhelmed or "out of control"
• increase or decrease in sex drive
• increased need for emotional closeness
• physical symptoms: bloating, heart palpitations, breast tenderness, headaches, joint or muscle pain, swollen face and nose

Other symptoms that are common and more specific to PMDD include:

• physical symptoms such as breast tenderness or swelling, headaches, joint or muscle pain.
• an altered view of one's body - a sensation of 'bloating', feeling fat or actual weight gain.

Five or more of these symptoms may indicate PMDD. Symptoms occur during the 2 weeks before the menstrual cycle and disappear within a few days after the onset of the bleeding.

....thanks Wikipedia.

The red ones are the ones I commonly get during that hellacious two weeks. Actually, they're missing paranoia.


I am in the thick of my PMDD right now. I was actually feeling sad today that my blog hasn't had more comments and that it used to before, and maybe people here in the Ana community hate me now. Yes, I know thats not true. /sigh I thank my lucky stars I've been tracking my PMDD for a while (years now) and I know what it sounds like. The sane part of my brain recognizes the crazy part a bit better these days. It's taken a ton of practice to get to this point. I wanted to mention all of it though because it could be a possible reason some of you guys also have binge eating issues or relationship problems or who knows how many other personality issues we all struggle with.

Try to be mindful of your freakouts and see if they tend to fall into that 2 week window before your period.

I had no idea of any of this for the longest time. Every month is like a bipolar rollercoaster. 2 weeks sane, then 2 weeks crazy as fuck.


I don't know how many of you may have PMDD too, but I have noticed that the ProAna bloggy world is a little quiet and crabby right now... ok maybe worse... like off their game and miserable as fuck.

Glad to know I'm not the only one, but still sorry everyone is going through it.

<3
Elle Ana Banana