(PMDD)
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- What is PMDD?
- Symptoms of PMDD
- Causes of PMDD
- Prevention of PMDD
- Risk factors for PMDD
- Complications of PMDD
- When to see a doctor about PMDD
- Diagnosis of PMDD
- Conventional treatment of PMDD
- Alternative/complementary treatment of PMDD
- Living with PMDD
- Caring for someone with PMDD
Diagnosis of pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
The only way to diagnose PMDD is through monitoring the severity, duration and onset of symptoms and report this to your doctor.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) has very definitive guidelines for diagnosing PMDD, as follows:
A. In at least five of the menstrual cycles for the year, the following symptoms were present (they were only present in the two weeks preceding menstruation and were gone within a few days of bleeding):
- Very depressed, feeling hopeless, or self-deprecating
- Extreme anxiety, feeling "on edge" much of the time
- Sudden feelings of high emotion, sensitivity to rejection
- Very angry or irritable, lots of conflicts in relationships
- Uninterested in regular activities
- Difficulty in concentrating properly
- Lethargy
- Overeating and food cravings
- Sleepiness or insomnia
- Feeling overwhelmed or "out of control"
- Physical symptoms - breast tenderness, fluid retention, headache, muscle and joint pains
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B. The pre-menstrual symptoms interfere enough with regular life (work, school, social activities, relationships) that they cause conflict or disturbances in any or all of these areas.
C. The pre-menstrual symptoms are not simply a result of some type of underlying mental disorder, such as any depressive disorder, anxiety disorder or a personality disorder.
D. The criteria A, B and C must be confirmed by careful monitoring of symptoms over two consecutive menstrual cycles and presenting this to a medical doctor for definite diagnosis.
In addition to this, the following should also be taken into consideration to help diagnose PMDD:
- If symptoms are not considerably reduced by the end of menstruation, then it may not be PMDD that is responsible for the symptoms
- Symptoms need to be a lot worse (over 30-50%) worse during the two-weeks prior to menstruation to be considered PMDD
Use the PMDD Tracker to accomplish this. Print it out and use it as your menstruation diary and take it to your doctor for discussion.
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