Is it sadness or premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) can cause severe symptoms of depression and irritability before periods in girls and women of childbearing age. Although there is no conclusive research on the origin of this disorder, it is suspected that it has to do with a high sensitivity of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in 2017 obtained data along the lines of the genetic pattern for this disorder. “His symptoms not only include a low mood,” assures the general health psychologist Maria Àngels Ollers Adrover. In addition to sadness, which manifests itself in the premenstrual phase –usually a week before menstruation– and disappears with the period or shortly after, PMDD can cause these other symptoms:

Humor changes. Irritability. Anxiety. Concentration difficulties. Fatigue. Insomnia or increased desire to sleep. pain or swelling

PMDD is not just sadness. How is it diagnosed?

Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) consider PMDD to be a depressive disorder, although it is not usually a very common diagnosis.

Sadness cannot be considered synonymous with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). “It is true that sadness can appear with the menstrual cycle. However, it is a normal basic emotion at certain times in any person and it is not considered a psychological disorder”, asserts Maria Àngels Ollers Adrover.

For the diagnosis of this disorder, it must be fulfilled that the aforementioned symptoms interfere negatively in the woman’s life (in her work, academic or personal and social relationships). Besides, must occur in most menstrual cycles for a year and be serious enough or that they create significant discomfort for the person who suffers from them, according to the psychologist Maria Àngels Ollers Adrover.

Differences with premenstrual syndrome, sadness or depression

According to studies, around 75% of girls and women have not only physical problems, but also emotional problems in their menstruations. Between 2% and 10% of women in this classification have PMDD, including more affective symptoms. During premenstrual syndrome (SPM) bad mood is usual. However, in premenstrual dysphoric disorder this is considerably aggravated.

PMS is more common than PMDD and is considered milder.

PMDD is accompanied by symptoms that lower your mood and sense of well-being. “However, the sadness that can be felt with PMDD may cause clinically significant discomfort causing a lack of control in daily life”, says Laura Cuadrado Ortega, a general health psychologist.

“When a subject is sad, they may feel reluctance to carry out various activities or tasks. When it comes to PMDD it reaches the extreme of feeling even unable to get out of bed ”, refers Cuadrado Ortega.

There is no such scope in PMDD as there is with depression and development is cyclical. “Symptoms appear close to ovulation or around two weeks prior to menstruation and progressively end after its onset,” says psychology expert Cuadrado Ortega.

How to prevent PMDD

Self-knowledge and self-care are fundamental supports to face premenstrual dysphoric disorder. “Each person is unique. Knowing ourselves and knowing how and in what moments or situations this disorder interferes, allows us to discover what mitigates it”, says Laura Cuadrado Ortega. This specialist suggests that there are some things we can pay attention to to try to mitigate PMDD:

Self care. lead a healthier lifestyle, incorporating sleep hygiene habits or practicing some sport or physical activity helps generate endorphins, which provides a greater sense of well-being. It is very necessary to learn to adjust the diet to the needs, integrating healthy foods, drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol, sugars and saturated fats. Learn tools for both better manage stress as the emotional world. It is essential to learn to delegate, this does not make anyone worse. You have to give yourself permission to say “no” when you are overwhelmed or conditioned to do something you don’t really want and find exercises that add spaces for relaxation. Becoming aware of personal emotions and allowing yourself to manage them is essential. Writing is also a very therapeutic tool.

The people who are around that young woman or woman who is suffering from this irregularity cannot ask her to face it and make an effort to improve her emotional state. PMDD is not something a woman can deal with, it is something “organic” and it is produced that way. “It will also help to talk to nutritionists specializing in women’s health issues,” recommends the specialist in strategic brief therapy, Cuadrado Ortega.