Women's Mental Health crisis: A case study on PMDD

PeriodSoc's President and PMDD Sufferer Elena Venturelli shares her thoughts on Womxn's mental health and Pre-menstrual Dysphoric Disorder

My experience with Pre-menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (which affects an estimated 5-10% of

women, most of which probably aren’t even aware of it) addresses a wider issue of the

outrageous lack of funding in women’s health. This country has an appalling habit of ignoring the major effects that women’s hormones have on their overall health. I challenge anyone to tell me that feminism is in any way obsolete.

PMDD is essentially an extreme genetic sensitivity to hormonal changes within the body,

ovulation being among the most dramatic of those hormonal changes, which is why

symptoms normally occur in a cyclical pattern, continuously triggered by ovulation which occurs 7-10 days before menstruation. The lack of research into this condition is incredibly frustrating.

I was diagnosed with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) in 2017 after two long years of feeling completely misunderstood and desperately alone. I am one of the lucky ones- most women suffer for a lot longer. Women with PMDD tend to have mainly psychological symptoms which include depression, suicidal thoughts, very intense mood swings, lethargy, over-excitement, anxiety and extreme sensitivity to both prescribed and recreational drugs.

The obscurity of my conditions means that, although 5-10% of women are affected there is

only one NHS practice in the whole country that treats it. This means the current chances of any affected woman getting the correct treatment, assuming they are lucky enough to be

diagnosed in the first place, are close to none. Most people I have spoken to have little or no clue what PMDD is, let alone the impact it can have on a woman’s life. This includes GPs and mental health professionals – trust me I have seen a lot them.

PMDD is a lifelong condition and there isn’t a cure. Getting diagnosed is hard enough, because barely anyone knows about it, and many of the treatments available for the symptoms (such as antidepressants and contraceptive pills) are likely to make it worse.

"30% of women with PMDD attempt suicide, and you are 70% more likely to experience suicidal ideation if you are a woman with PMDD, compared to a woman without"

Many women resort to experimenting with various alternative methods and lifestyle changes to make their condition manageable, which normally takes years. 30% of women with PMDD attempt suicide, and you are 70% more likely to experience suicidal ideation if you are a woman with PMDD, compared to a woman without.

A while ago I admitted myself to A&E because I was considering suicide. I told them about my PMDD and that I believed it was the cause. The first doctor I saw told me the plan was to ignore hormones for now, and he promised to put a psychiatric team on my case. I was seen after a sleepless night by a mental health doctor but by that time I was in a good mood and spoke well. She told me I don’t show sufficient signs of a mental health disorder, so she sent me home with a few leaflets with numbers for crisis teams. Later that day I tried to jump out of a window at the doctors’ surgery, because I was in agonising emotional pain.

I don’t blame any of the health practitioners for what happened, they don’t have the knowledge or means of treating my condition, and there isn’t a proper medical system in place for PMDD sufferers. Since this incident I have decided that enough is enough, and I want to spread as much awareness as I can.

My family are extremely supportive and have pushed very hard for my treatment, which

consists of transdermal gels that I rub into the skin every night. I wouldn’t have been able to

finish my A-levels without what I have previously referred to as my ‘miracle gels’. I

saw a staggering improvement in my mental and physical health, but as I said there isn’t a

definitive cure, and my condition has worsened again since.

There are also long-term physical effects to having PMDD, the major one being a high chance of developing osteoporosis (crumbling bones) which normally occurs in old age. My clinician tested my bones and despite being only 19 at the time I have osteopenia (weak bones- not quite crumbling yet). Fortunately for me my hormone gels should prevent this condition from deteriorating.

From this, it seems obvious to me that life for many women is still very much of a struggle, and the government doesn’t seem to be doing much to help. Tackling the issues of poor funding into women’s health could result in a faster increase in women in STEM industries and high-power jobs.