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 women who have the condition.
We have to try and manage our daily commitments and responsibilities despite the difficulties we experience which can be the hardest part.
To put it into perspective, for those unfamiliar with the condition, think about a period in life when you experienced an anxiety or depression inducing situation and you just did not feel like yourself.
It would have been impossible to be enthusiastic about anything.
Image by freepik
You may have abandoned your self-care and even your surroundings, leaving the dishes and laundry to pile up.
Turning down social events felt inevitable and coping with the responsibilities of your job may have become increasingly difficult.
The decline in your mood possibly filtered into and affected your close relationships.
You may have cried yourself to sleep, feeling alone and in despair because relief felt so out of reach.
With all this in mind, think about what life would be like if you were to experience these emotions every month for up to two weeks at a time.
This is what the life of someone with PMDD can look like.
Image by freepik
When you’re experiencing these debilitating emotional symptoms, normal life is a challenge.
It takes an above-average level of willpower and mental toughness to continue life as normal.
I remember joining an online international support group for women who have the condition, made up of women from all backgrounds.
There were women who were unable to work because of how severely the condition affected them.
In an extreme case, a woman from the USA shared the pain of having her child taken away due to her inability to effectively manage parenting alongside the condition.
My heart was crushed.
Image by freepik
Being in this group, despite the heaviness of shared experiences, inspired me to find ways to manage the condition.
I could identify with many others because my life was also an emotional rollercoaster of chaos. There had been various instances where all I could think about was ending it all.
I even shared a very raw video diary to show other women exactly how distressing my past experience was.
Whatever remedies were available to help reduce the severity of symptoms, I was going to find them and share with others like me.
Image by rawpixel.com/freepik
I still deal with PMDD but 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 in which my brain worked.
Thinking in an optimistic manner, praying more often, reading my Bible, self-help books, watching inspiring educational content, actively practicing gratitude, you name it.
I would feed my brain with feel-good inducing content constantly.
Image by ASphotfamily on freepik
These practices take consistency, but I do them daily because without them, this condition would dictate the path of my life.
Additionally, I’ve worked at implementing what I’ve learnt and although it’s been a slow process, the change has been impactful.
I’ve previously documented an example of how I choose to tackle my tough PMDD days here in the hopes it would inspire others.
We all have way too much individual potential to allow the condition to restrict our growth and supress our potential for happiness.
Image by freepik
During my process of growth, my developed resilience has determined that yielding to the extremities of the condition is no longer an option.
PMDD helped me discover the true beauty that can emerge from ongoing pain. Trying to manage a condition with no known cure, opened my eyes to a bigger picture – my passion for inspiring others.
Image by ASphotofamily on freepik
Mental toughness has become my default mode of operation due to my experience with the condition.
Finding a way when all I could see was a wall taught me that anything is possible. You just have to have enough desire and you can achieve the change you want.
Our mental health conditions needn’t define our life – We can navigate our own future.
Use the condition to discover yourself and become a hero in your own story and in the lives of others.
Take a look at my Book Club and find a read that will be beneficial in your journey to better living.
Be encouraged to start your own journey and design your life according to your desires, not your difficulties.
