Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins
(Please note – This blog post touches on suicidal ideation so please read with caution).
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder in real life is a serious bone of contention for the women who have the condition. We have to manage our daily commitments and responsibilities despite the condition and that is the hardest part of dealing with a condition like this.
To put it into perspective, for those who want better insight, think about a period in your life when things were really bad for you emotionally.
You may have experienced an anxiety or depression inducing situation and just did not feel like yourself – for example. Feeling on edge and severely fatigued, it was near impossible to be enthusiastic about the things you’d typically enjoy.
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You may have abandoned your self-care and even your surroundings, leaving the dishes and laundry to pile up. You turned down social events because you didn’t feel yourself and coping with your job become difficult. Your mood filtered into and affected your close relationships.
You’d cry yourself to sleep, feeling alone and in despair, because there was no immediate relief in sight.
Bringing you back to the present, think about what life would be like if you were to experience these emotions every single month for up to two weeks at a time.
This is what the life of someone with PMDD can look like. Many of us will battle through to get things done. When you’re experiencing these debilitating emotional symptoms, that’s not an easy task. It takes an above-average amount of sheer willpower and mental toughness to continue with life as normal.
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I remember joining an online support group for women who have the condition, made up of women from around the world. There were women who were unable to work because of how severely the condition affected them.
In an extreme case, there was a woman who’s child was taken from her because of her inability to cope with her parenting responsibilities alongside the condition. My heart was crushed.
Being in this group, however, provoked me to find a way to manage the condition, so my life wouldn’t be so heavily affected. I could identify with many of the women because my life was also rollercoaster of emotional chaos. Whatever the remedy or remedies to reduce the severe effects, I was going to find them so I could encourage other women to do the same and inspire hope.
Up until that point, some years back, there were so many instances when I’d be in my PMDD phase of my cycle, and all I could think about was ending it all. I shared a video diary on my YouTube channel here to show other women that I’ve been exactly where they are (please note – some viewers may find the linked video distressing so please watch with caution).
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I still deal with PMDD even now, and my main remedy has been to constantly train my brain.
If it’s my brain’s sensitivity that triggers the emotional upheaval, then I would do what I could to retrain the way my brain works and in doing so, I live a much more fulfilled life today despite the condition.
It’s a process. It takes an exceptional amount of willpower and consistency, but I do it daily because I know without it, this condition would dictate the path of my life.
I have too much potential to allow the condition to continue casting shadows over me. I documented one of my tough PMDD days and how I chose to tackle the difficulty I was experiencing, which you can watch on my Instagram here.
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During the process, I’ve become so determined that losing to this condition is no longer an option. In training my mind, my passion for empowering others was birthed because I’ve learnt so much about myself and more importantly, the true beauty that can come from pain.
Trying to manage a condition with no current cure, opened my eyes to a bigger picture. I use to think ‘why me’, but looking back in hindsight, it’s played a big part in why I am the way I am today. Mental toughness became my mode of operation by default.
Finding a way when all I could see was a wall has taught me, anything can be achieved. You just have to have enough desire and relentlessly go after the change you want.
You don’t need to allow any mental health condition to take the reins in your life – You can direct your future in the path you wish it to go said as someone who’s been doing exactly that for some years now.
Take a look at my Book Club. Find a read that will be beneficial in your journey to betterment. Be encouraged to start your own journey and design your life according to your desires, not your difficulties.
