A global awareness effort will kick off this month to raise the profile of a ‘life-threatening’, widely-overlooked disorder that affects one in 20 menstruating people.
April marks the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) awareness month, which aims to educate people and build advocacy of this little-known condition.
PMDD is a suspected genetic disorder that affects mental and menstrual health.
Symptoms include depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, and many others which occur in the 1-2 weeks before the menstrual period each month.
Unlike in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects most individuals with periods, symptoms are often severe and debilitating, affecting school and work, relationships, and quality of life.
One of the most common symptoms of PMDD is suicidal ideation, with 30 per cent of sufferers reporting they’ve attempted to end their life in PMDD crisis.
READ MORE: Nicola Love: Forget stigma, we don't take women's pain seriously
An estimated 5-10% of women and assigned female/male at birth individuals (AFAB) of reproductive age have PMDD. This number does not account for missed or misdiagnosis nor women whose ovulatory cycle is suppressed by hormonal, chemical, or surgical means.
PMDD impacts a staggering 60 million worldwide but has only been recognized medically in the last decade, leaving many undiagnosed and in the dark.
The International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) hosts the month-long celebration. The 2021 theme is “Many Hands Make Light Work” with the hashtag #PMDDAwarenessMonth2021, to emphasize each of our roles in bringing light to PMDD.
Sandi MacDonald, co-founder and executive director at IAPMD, said: “We fight for a world where women and AFAB individuals with PMDD can not only survive, but thrive.”
“It all starts with awareness. A spark. When we join together we can do so much. I think the PMDD community is the best example of this in action. We are not alone anymore, and that is our greatest power.”
Started in 2013 by Cat Hawkins in the UK, PMDD Awareness Month brings together women and AFAB individuals from around the world to share their experiences and shine a light on PMDD.
It is driven by a community of patients, care partners, professionals, and others to help call attention to what they define as a life-threatening and overlooked condition.
READ MORE: NHS 'self identification' policy is risking patients healthcare study warns
Throughout April, 41 buildings and landmarks around the world, including Edinburgh Castle, will light up teal as a show of support.
On April 29, the PMDD community will light the night with candles for PMDD Remembrance Day to honor those who have been lost to PMDD by suicide.
“It’s a surreal experience to see a building or a bridge or a castle lit teal and know it’s lit for you,” said Brett Buchert, Director of Impact at IAPMD.
Other highlights of the month-long celebration include the #PMDDAwarenessChallenge on Instagram with daily prompts to spark storytelling and awareness-raising.
Members of the community are also encouraged to take the PMDD Pledge, to stand up and speak out against misinformation and stigma.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon - Women's health plan to feature in NHS recovery strategy
The International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) is the leading patient-led health organization which aims to inspire hope and end suffering in those affected by Premenstrual Disorders.
Since 2013, they have helped over half a million people from more than 100 countries through peer support, education, research, and advocacy.
While PMDD is directly connected to the menstrual cycle, it is not a hormone imbalance but rather a severe neurobiological reaction to the natural rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone.
Symptoms occur the week or two before menstruation and go away a few days after bleeding begins.
There is no blood or saliva test to diagnose PMDD, but these tests can rule out other underlying disorders. Diagnosis is done by tracking symptoms for at least two menstrual cycles.
The disorder was only recognised as a mental disorder in 2013 and included in the World Health Organization classification of diseases in 2019.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here