Emma Hardy

Being that like actually I was in a good bubbly mood most of the month was actually so surprising because it feels so overwhelming.

Thank you for having me.

I'm excited to be here.

So, I mean, like the offhand way that I usually talk about PMDD, which no doctor would particularly like, is I describe it as being like extreme PMS, because that's the language that most people have to talk about premenstrual illness.

But the reality is, is that it's like PMS, but debilitating.

So

affects like quite a few people it's very under it's very under diagnosed so like I when I was researching the book I found that's between like three and ten percent of people which is like who menstruate which is a big gap of people but it's like extreme irritability before your period in like the seven to ten days before your period before menstruation extreme irritability you have suicidal ideation often and you're unable to work and

interpersonal conflicts with friends, families, partners.

That's kind of like the big DSM criteria for it.

For me, I just felt like I was crazy.

It felt like I was out of control.

It feels like I can't trust myself.

And it feels like I might do something insane at any moment and to be unable to stop myself.

So like the feelings that I have before PMDD is this like kind of building of tension.

And then afterwards, I like, I'm almost fearful of what I could have done to myself or other people.

It took me a really long time.

Um, like I went in and out of different psychologists being like, I absolutely in tears devastated one week, I'd come back three weeks later and I'd be like, I don't know what I was upset about.

I'm feeling totally fine.

And the psychologist would be like, that's amazing.

Smart goals are really effective.