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.