Transcript:
Mum: Hi, thank you for agreeing to talk about your PMS experience
So, when did your PMS symptoms start?
Me: I got my period, late at about 14 years old. My teachers at school noticed I was behaving a bit oddly and differently, I got anxious, irritable, low and depressed, but this would only happen for about a weed then I would I would be absolutely fine again. About six months though after my period I got very very ill, I experienced psychosis, so hearing things and seeing things and as a result of that I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital,
Mum: What was it like in that unit?
Me: It was pretty hard. I was around people of all ages who had difficult issues and there were a lot of girls there with eating disorders
Mum: what treatments were you on, when you were there?
Me: They put me on various psychiatric med, but my parents noticed there was a correlation between my symptoms and my cycle, so my mum found a gynaecologist who then spoke with my psychiatrist in the hospital and recommended I try a contraceptive pill, he said that I probably had severe PMS – Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, also known as Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder.
Mum: So how did that go and what treatments have you been on since?
Me: So, the pill worked for a few months, but then it broke down, I’ve been on various hormonal treatments over the years, as well as psychiatric meds as I have psychiatric symptoms I’ve been under Child and Adolescent Mental Health services and the psychiatric meds didn’t work for me, as the underlying route cause is hormonal. So my hormonal treatments they broke down, they didn’t always and weren’t always effective. But when they were working I would be well for a few months.
Mum: how long were you well for, what’s the longest time?
Me: I think it’s about 6-9 months and in that time, I would be fully well I’d be on top of things, I had a great outlook on life.
Mum: so overall, how has your life been affected by PMS?
Me: I’ve had it for about 10 years, it has affected my life there’s no doubt about it. But I have managed to keep up a relatively normal life. I managed to finish school, got into my first-choice university, but then, because of being ill I decided to transfer, and life at home,
Mum: Have you been hospitalised as an adult?
Me: Yes, a few years ago, I used to disappear from home, and then one day I disappeared for two nights, the police found me luckily and I was admitted to an adult acute psychiatric hospital.
Mum: and how has it been recently?
Me: A few years ago, I got sectioned twice, and then decided I had to have an operation, because I couldn’t carry on as I was. So I had the hysterectomy and oophorectomy, and I am now nearly 6 months post op and I am currently stable but I did have a few ups and downs. I am on 200mcg of oestrogen patches (HRT) and I am doing pretty well at the moment.
Mum: that’s great. Do you have any tips for other sufferers?
Me: track your cycle against your symptoms, use Clue a journal, or PMDD tracker APP, KEEP HEALTHY, eat well, exercise, try mindfulness exercise, and tell your GP and psychiatrist about this condition, print off the NAPS guidelines, and take them with you, fight your case. And remember slightly cheesy I know, it’s not your fault it’s PMDD or severe pre-menstrual syndrome.
Mum: thank you very much.