Redefining Life: Life w/ PMDD

(This will be my first posting where I refer to PMDD as a disorder as much as I am about too.  Normally, I refer to PMDD as something we live with, that’s what it is.  It doesn’t make us less of a Woman, less of a Mom, a person, etc…  With this post, however, I feel the need to make it easier and smoother to read by referring to it as ‘disorder’.)

It’s funny, so much discussion about the new DSM5 that will be coming out at some point. When I did the interview on onthemedia.org, I knew it was about Mental Health and the new DSM5, I just didn’t know that afterwards there would be so much discussion, and so much not in a positive light.

Don’t get me wrong, nothing negative about what I said or did, but just the whole Mental Health & psychiatrists tug-of-war that has gone on for so long.

You have those that believe that there aren’t any Mental illnesses at all, just situations that we should all work on overcoming, and then you have pharmaceutical companies that would love us all too need their medications and then more in between.

It’s chaos and it’s even worse being someone that has a disorder that most people don’t want to acknowledge, period.  This is where PMDD fits in, where I fit in.

For some they feel that no more money should be given to studies on Mental Health, no more money to companies making anti-depressants, and all the while the DSM5 is trying to write the new version which will define all of these lines. It will decide what guidelines need to be followed, etc…

Now, imagine this…you have a disorder. No, wait, a lot of ‘you’ have this same disorder.  Your symptoms all fit into the same list, and you all have these symptoms during the same time of the month, but not all month long.  (Let me explain, you don’t all have the same symptoms at the same time, but you have it 2 wks before your period, #2person has it 2 wks before their period, #3person has it 2 wks before their period, etc…)

Now, you think…Hmmm, since I’m not the only person with this disorder (these symptoms), there has got to be…

*a name for what I am living with
*a medication or at least a list of what I can do to feel better (vitamins)
*people that understand what I am living with
*people that know what my body is going through and why
*doctors that believe me and don’t think I am over- exaggerating PMS
*friends that don’t look at me different because this is real

…and so much more

Then, you call a doctor, visit him, and if you are lucky he will  help you and not make you feel belittled.  If you aren’t, which unfortunately, with PMDD and doctors, you come across some icky ones before the good ones, usually and then you are too embarrassed to even talk about it, more less continue trying to get help with it.

Most Women are shocked, you really believe that getting help with PMDD will be like getting help with any illness or depression, or anything for that matter.  You go in with a positive outlook on the whole thing, you know it sucks to live with it, but you just know someone, a doctor, can help you.

You soon find out different, as you have read from my site.

Now, not only have we (Women living with PMDD) had to deal with these things, but now the DSM5 is thinking about redefining all of it, again.

Is it really so difficult for the world, and I say world because people just didn’t sound big enough, is it really so difficult to give us a break.  Just let it be in it’s own category.  It is NOT bi-polar, it is a set time frame, bipolar is not.

It is not depression, it doesn’t effect us all of the month or different times of the month, just the same 1-2 wks before we start our period.  It is real, it does interfere with our lives.  It interferes with school, work, family, friends, life all-together.  That makes it real.

Seriously folks, as much of a stigmatism as this gives a Woman, do you think we would want to obtain the title of the disorder if we didn’t have it.  Hell no!

I was asked in my interview, what about the sexist aspect of the disorder?  It can hurt or help a Woman.  HELLO!!! It is a sexist disorder.  NOW, if any man wants to claim the disorder, struggle with what I deal with every month and then in addition to the hellacious 2 wks, then have a period, with cramps  for a full week, more power.  I will trade anyday.  I do not want it, it’s just not something I can trade.

In addition to the thoughts of a ‘sexist’ disorder.  So, because it doesn’t effect men and women should it not be considered a disorder, we should just deal with it.  How stupid have we become if that is the case.

And, on the medication aspect, in regards to PMDD only.  I am not speaking about stronger medications or any other disorders, just PMDD when I state this.

Give me a break!  Prozac doesn’t do enough for us to make it worth us lying that we have PMDD in order to get the drug.  Same goes with Zoloft, Celexa, Sarafem, etc…

Let’s see… lowers sex drive, almost always weight gain, when you start it you feel nauseated, when you get off of it, you go thru crap again.

Hmmm… Oh yeah! Just what any Woman would want.  If we were talking about prescription drugs that made you feel incredible (you know what I mean) had some out of your mind experience or something) maybe, but like I said, what we are asking for is none of these.

As a matter of fact, most of us that deal with PMDD have to add the side effects of the medication to our list of what we have to live with just because it allows us to treat our families and friends better.  It allows us to keep from raging and crying for 2 wks and hurting the ones’ we love.

I guess I am ranting alot here, I am just hoping that when the DSM5 folks get together and put their final decisions together, that they will have contacted ‘real’ people that live with disorders.  That they will find out what will happen to those of us if they change the diagnosis to something else, what it will do to us that only live with PMDD.

How that will make it so much harder for Women to come forward and get help.   How many husbands, boyfriends, and children will have to continue living in chaos because the Woman or Mom in their life, can’t get help or is too ashamed because PMDD is turned into something else, more severe.

It just goes so deep and doctors, psychiatrists, researchers and pharmacists cannot make this decision on their own.  It just can’t be done.  If you have not lived with this disorder there is not a way in the world you can make changes, decisions, and life-altering motions, all on our part.

That’s enough, more later…

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