In this week's episode of Is Anybody Listening? Sarah shares her journey with PMS, PMDD, and hormonal health. We discuss the generational shift from 'Just get on with it, this is just part of being female' to appreciating and encouraging individuality and open conversation.

Sarah tells us how, when presenting to the OBGYN with severe PMS symptoms, she was told she had two options: go on the pill, or get pregnant. We discuss the impact of birth control on our mental and physical wellbeing, and the importance of education, understanding, and autonomy over our bodies for transforming our health.

We touch on Sarah's role as a period and life coach, guiding women to understand and embrace their menstrual cycles, and the life-changing effect of such. We explore how to live in harmony with your menstrual cycle, and tips and advice for helping others understand your and their cycle, from children to partners, workplaces bosses and more.

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In this episode, we talk to Aishwarya about her experience with PMS and PCOS. Aishwarya discusses the impact of PCOS on her premenstrual syndrome symptoms and the challenges she faces when managing them.

We talk about her unusual PCOS diagnosis journey, the importance of acceptance, and the struggles of practising what we preach when it comes to self-love. Aishwarya shares the specifics of her PMS, including crashing energy levels, changes in personal motivation, and feeling socially withdrawn.

Our conversation touches on the need for support groups and resources to help females navigate all the stages of hormonal changes, and the societal taboos and stigmas surrounding female health, across PMS, PCOS, and menopause.

Aishwarya's story serves as an inspiration for empowering others to embrace their bodies and find enlightenment and acceptance.

Summary
In this episode, Min shares her experience with PMDD and the challenges she faced in getting a diagnosis. We discuss the impact of PMDD on work and self-confidence and emphasizes the importance of seeking medical help and therapy as soon as you need it.

Min also highlights the need for better recognition and understanding of PMDD in healthcare systems, and how empathy and is key for people with PMDD.

Takeaways

• Sharing personal experiences and stories is crucial for raising awareness and understanding of PMDD.
• Tracking menstrual cycles can help in identifying, preempting, and managing our symptoms.
• Getting a proper diagnosis and seeking medical help, including treatments and therapy, can be hugely beneficial for people with pre-menstrual conditions.
• PMDD impacts on all areas of our lives, from work and self-confidence to relationships and behaviour. In terms of work, opening up to your employers and making sure you're in a safe and supportive environment is really important. Flexible work arrangements can be hugely beneficial.
• Self-care practices, such as exercise, healthy eating, and stress management, can help alleviate PMS and PMDD symptoms.
• Support and empathy from loved ones and healthcare professionals are crucial for those of us living with PMS and PMDD.

PMS, also known as premenstrual syndrome, is the name given to the group of physical, psychological, and behavioural symptoms that occur in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (the two weeks before our period).

These symptoms can significantly disrupt our lives, affecting everything including work, relationships, exercise, self-confidence, social interactions, decision-making, and more.

PMS occurs, in part, as a result of the fluctuating hormones experienced during the menstrual cycle, and our personal sensitivity to such. This means our symptoms are present for only a certain part of each cycle. When we don't know we might have PMS, these fluctuating symptoms can make us question ourselves, and sometimes lead healthcare professionals to presume they're not serious, because they're not constant. We're here to tell you that's not true, and we need to talk about PMS (especially when around 75% of females experience it).

By raising the volume of the conversation around PMS, more people will start to understand what it really is, and how much it affects our day-to-day and month-to-month.

In this episode, we talk to Pip about her experience with PMS, why being open and honest about our health is too often seen as weakness, and the potential power of embracing our PMS emotions.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is misunderstood. It's often described as a severe form of PMS, but for people with PMDD, this can feel like a huge understatement.

PMDD is a cyclic mood-based disorder that around 5-8% of us experience in the weeks leading up to our period. There are over 150 symptoms, which can be physical, behavioural, and psychological. Common symptoms include depression, anger, exhaustion, social withdrawal, anxiety, and insomnia. PMDD can have a hugely negative impact on our ability to function, and can even leave us feeling suicidal.

PMDD occurs, in part, as a result of the fluctuating hormones experienced during the menstrual cycle, and our personal sensitivity to such. This means our symptoms are present for only a certain part of each cycle. When we don't know we might have PMDD, these fluctuating symptoms can make us question ourselves, and sometimes lead healthcare professionals to presume they're not serious, because they're not constant. We're here to tell you that's not true, and we need to talk about PMDD.

By raising the volume of the conversation around PMDD, more people will start to understand what it really is, and how seriously it affects our lives.

In this episode, we talk to Liv about her experience with PMDD, how she got diagnosed, and her journey to understanding and living with PMDD.

Liv shares her experience with PMDD and the impact it has on her daily life. She discusses her journey to diagnosis and the frustration of not being heard by healthcare professionals. Liv also highlights the importance of nature and music as coping mechanisms and the need for more awareness and support for women's health issues. We discuss approaching GP appointments, trauma responses and childhood triggers, the early use of the female contraceptive pill, upcoming research and clinical pathways, and the importance of support within the Evelyn Health community.