Holiday Treats for Those with PMDD

Two Christmas treats I've uncovered this month...

The first is the best overall medical write up of PMDD I have ever read, and I do mean ever, starting with the first line where it defines PMDD as "a diagnosis to indicate serious premenstrual distress with associated deterioration." 

What I like about this write up is that it DOES NOT, anywhere, or anyplace, or at any time, refer to PMDD as a "more severe form of PMS," which PMDD most definitely is not.  You can have both PMS and PMDD at the same time, but they are not interchangeable, as so many articles and essays and websites either claim or imply, and they are not the same disorder, with one simply being a more severe version of the other.  The fact that so many PMDD resources say they are only muddies the already murky waters of PMDD, leaving everyone searching for help more confused than ever. 

So...I heartily recommend that you read this emedicine Medscape article and learn the latest about PMDD.  I'm sure there's information here you haven't read before.  And if you have just recently discovered you have PMDD, there is no better place to start your research than with this overview.

The second treat I've uncovered is this delightful free PDF entitled Let's go menstrual! by Miranda Gray. This 34-page PDF is a super easy read that helps us to understand our monthly changes, and provides a great way to enjoy and take pride in (rather than dread and loathe and curse) your menstrual cycle.  Ms. Gray breaks our cycles down to four seasons.  PMDD women would benefit the most from the section entitled The secrets of the Autumn and Winter phases.  

Seriously....this PDF "gets" what it's like for us, provides excellent tips and resources on how to cope, and finds a way to put a positive face on our periods and PMDD.

Couldn't we all use a little positivity going into 2014?

So let's welcome the new year and our new beginnings and successes with these two excellent resources for women with PMDD.

Surviving the Holidays with PMDD

Wow, here I am, a year later, still researching my post on progesterone...there's so much information, pro and con, to sift through.  I seem to uncover new information daily and it's all conflicting.

 

You see, the truth is, I want to be able to say progesterone is good for you and it works miracles for your PMDD...unfortunately, that is not what I am finding...

 

So I keep looking.  But I think it's time to stop researching, and just write the post.

In the meantime, going in to the holiday season, I thought we might revisit a few posts on relationships to remind ourselves of what's important, what's not, and what we can do about it.

Here are the links to my series of posts about all sorts of relationships, because between now and when life settles down again in January, we'll most likely be dealing with more people than we do the rest of the year combined. So bookmark this page, and refer to it as needed :)

Relationships Begin With You

Learning to Treat Yourself Like a Friend

HOW to be a Friend to Yourself

Choosing Your Friends Wisely

Choosing Your Family

How to Survive Family Gatherings

It's Not Personal, It's Just Your PMDD

Finding the Right Partner

Dealing with PMDD - Advice for Men

and, as a reminder,

They Only See Our Failures

Take care, God Bless, and may your holidays be happy.