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Is Anybody Listening?
Welcome to Is Anybody Listening?, the podcast discussing PMS, PMDD, and all the different areas of our lives they impact.
Did you know that around 80% of females get PMS or PMDD? But with over 150 different physiological, physical, and behavioural symptoms, there isn't one picture of PMS or PMDD. Each of us has a unique and constantly changing experience.
With these conditions being cyclical, and symptoms appearing for two weeks then disappearing again, it can be all too easy for others (and ourselves) to dismiss them. Most of us have been told that PMS and PMDD are 'part of being female', that we should 'just get on with it', and worst of all, what we're experiencing is 'all in your head'.
Is Anybody Listening? explores real stories of people living with PMS and PMDD. We hope that Is Anybody Listening? will help raise the volume of the conversation around pre-menstrual conditions, give an accurate picture of what they really look and feel like, and enable more people to understand how seriously they affect our lives.
Together, with enough of us speaking up, we can and will transform the cycle as we know it.
Head to www.evelynhealth.com to sign up for our newsletter, join our community, and read all about PMS and PMDD on our Health Hub.
Is Anybody Listening?
Liv's PMDD
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is misunderstood. It's often described as a severe form of PMS, but for people with PMDD, this can feel like a huge understatement.
PMDD is a cyclic mood-based disorder that around 5-8% of us experience in the weeks leading up to our period. There are over 150 symptoms, which can be physical, behavioural, and psychological. Common symptoms include depression, anger, exhaustion, social withdrawal, anxiety, and insomnia. PMDD can have a hugely negative impact on our ability to function, and can even leave us feeling suicidal.
PMDD occurs, in part, as a result of the fluctuating hormones experienced during the menstrual cycle, and our personal sensitivity to such. This means our symptoms are present for only a certain part of each cycle. When we don't know we might have PMDD, these fluctuating symptoms can make us question ourselves, and sometimes lead healthcare professionals to presume they're not serious, because they're not constant. We're here to tell you that's not true, and we need to talk about PMDD.
By raising the volume of the conversation around PMDD, more people will start to understand what it really is, and how seriously it affects our lives.
In this episode, we talk to Liv about her experience with PMDD, how she got diagnosed, and her journey to understanding and living with PMDD.
Liv shares her experience with PMDD and the impact it has on her daily life. She discusses her journey to diagnosis and the frustration of not being heard by healthcare professionals. Liv also highlights the importance of nature and music as coping mechanisms and the need for more awareness and support for women's health issues. We discuss approaching GP appointments, trauma responses and childhood triggers, the early use of the female contraceptive pill, upcoming research and clinical pathways, and the importance of support within the Evelyn Health community.