Protecting Your Job While Coping with a Chronic Illness
This is a very interesting article and while PMDD is not in most people’s minds as Chronic illness, there is one section in this article that reads loud and clear to me.
What is a disability? “It’s a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,” said Chris Kuczynski, director of the division that deals with the disability act at the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Is this not what determines the difference between PMS and PMDD?
To be considered PMDD, symptoms must be severe enough to really disrupt a woman’s life — interfere with work, school, social activities or interpersonal relationships.
For a lot of Women it is extremely difficult to deal with certain aspects of their jobs during this 2 wk time. Does that mean they should not have to work? Of course not, but if they didn’t feel as though they were having to hide that they were struggling, or could walk to the bathroom for 2 minutes- gain control over themselves (if necessary), etc… wouldn’t that be amazing. Wouldn’t that be a step in the right direction?
It’s already difficult enough that there is not a cure for PMDD. Women with PMDD have to acknowledge this, face it head on that they have it and they have to deal with it. It’s going to affect their lives and if they want to have a job, healthy relationships, incredible friendships, supportive family, they will HAVE to learn to exercise daily, watch what they eat (no sugar or processed foods, especially during this 2 wk time, no alcohol and at leastlimited caffeine (preferably none), take vitamins, probably work on breathing techniques and so much more.
Now. Think about it- how easy is it for you to do ALL of these things, and yes I mean ALL because you can’t just pick and choose which one’s when it comes to PMDD. In addition to household duties, family responsibilities, work, most likely children, etc… Not only that of course we are just like anyone else, we enjoy going out and having a good time eating out, having that glass of wine or coffee with our girlfriends.
When you think of it like that, it’s not so easy, eh?
If you could just keep an open mind if someone does come to you at your workplace, please don’t think of PMDD as PMS. Joking won’t help, even if it’s your way of trying to lighten the conversation, hold back this time. :)
If you need more help to help understand how you can help someone at your workplace, please let me know, email me at livingwpmdd@gmail.com or visit this blog. We also have a Women’s Only forum and a Men’s Only forum that can help.
Trust me! Take it from me! Women with PMDD are NOT looking for ways to cop out of anything, not at work or at home. If anything we are usually pushing ourselves and making it so much worse. Personally, I am a go-getter and most of the Women I speak with are just like me, that is how they are able to live with it and continue doing everything they do.
We would love to take on a thousand more daily tasks, yes daily in exchange for getting rid of this disorder. We aren’t looking to run from projects, activities, relationships, work, we are just looking for the way to do it all, and since PMDD is such an unknown disorder, we are on our own a lot of the time.
Work with us, we will work with you and hopefully I can get more Women to be more open and honest with all of you, and we can all win.
Okay, well, I went on and on, again…here’s the link to that article now- Check it out to find out what your alternatives are with regards to work and illness.
Stef Prose
lifewpmdd.com (Blog)
lifewpmdd.ning.com (Women’s Only Forum)
menandpmdd.ning.com (Men’s Only Forum)
livingwpmdd@gmail.com (Email)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/health/20patient.html
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