PMDD and Its Impact on Confidence

I’m 36 and just when I feel I finally have my life coming back together from an…episode?…PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) knocks me down so hard that it feels impossible to get back up. The worst part? The world still doesn’t seem to understand.

PMDD isn’t “just PMS.” It’s not being “moody” or “overly emotional.” It’s a tidal wave that crashes through my brain, warping reality, draining my energy, and making me question everything. One week I’m myself…motivated, social, capable. then the next… I feel like a stranger in my own skin….skin that won’t stop crawling…irritable, exhausted, anxious, drowning in an overwhelming sadness that logic can’t fix that then just turns off like a switch some days/weeks later and that will make you feel crazy also!
For me, the stigma around PMDD has been one of the hardest parts. I feel like I can’t talk about it. I used to be confident…at least, I think I was…but over time the constant invalidation has chipped away at that confidence. Maybe I was just being too sensitive? Maybe I was overreacting? The gaslighting…whether from others or from myself…is really flippin’ exhausting.

But how do you snap out of something that hijacks your brain…. (I’d love to know)

Some days the hopelessness is so loud and I wonder if I’ll always be fighting against this dumpster fire…if people will ever truly understand…if I’ll ever stop feeling like I have to justify myself.

I’m reading “The PMDD Phenomenon” …I’ve just started it so I don’t really have an opinion yet but I will get back to you on that…it talks about how no one questions a headache because everyone has had at least one in their lifetime…PMDD is something that effects such a small percentage of women that its overlooked.

But then, I remember…I’m not alone.

There are others who get it and we are more than our hardest days.

If you feel like PMDD is swallowing you whole, please know this:

you are NOT weak!

You are NOT broken!

And (most importantly) you are NOT alone!

Confidence I feel is less about being unshakable and more about knowing that even when I am shaken that I’m still worthy of understanding and support.

Let’s keep this conversation going. Have you experienced stigma around PMDD? How has it affected your confidence? Drop a comment below…I’d love to hear your thoughts!

With Love,

Caitlin