Overly Organised Chaos

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects an estimated 5% of neurotypical people who menstruate. But this rises to a shocking 92% of autistics and 46% of ADHDers!

Symptoms of PMDD can include:

Extremely Depressed
Suicidal thoughts
Anger/Irritability
Brain fog
Sleep problems
Feeling overwhelmed or out of control
Pain

Symptoms usually appear a week or so before your period, when your oestrogen levels are plummeting, and are bad enough to prevent you going about your daily life. Then when your menstruate symptoms die down again.

Neurodivergent individuals are often more sensitive to sensory input, and this can also be true for hormone changes. Those fluctuations all humans go through can cause havoc with our already very hot and spicy brains! So times such as…

Puberty
Menstrual Cycles
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Menopause

…can be incredibly intense for the neurodivergent community, leading MANY to finally be diagnosed as autistic or ADHD later in life, due to the worsening of our symptoms alongside those hormone fluctuations.

Interestingly those on ADHD meds often report meds not working as well during this time.

Many ADHDers also report relief from ADHD symptoms while pregnant and breastfeeding and others report a significant worsening. It’s very clear our hormones have a massive effect on us so if you are neurodivergent and think you may be suffering from PMDD…

Don’t let your doctor fob you off!

It can take an average of 12 years to be diagnosed with PMDD. This is a condition that leaves many of us feeling suicidal monthly and can actually be treated once diagnosed! Yet so many are dismissed, often by doctors who have never menstruated, and told this is normal.

If you are having suicidal thoughts it is not normal PMS!

If you are unable to go about your life due to the intensity of your pain every month it is not just normal cramps!

If you think you may suffer from PMDD you should go to your doctor and you should make it clear exactly why you think your symptoms fall out of the normal PMS range.

Most doctors will ask you to go away and keep a symptom diary for up to 6 months so make sure when you go in you go in armed with dates, symptoms, severity and don’t end up having to wait another 6 horrific cycles before being supported.

Please don’t keep suffering in silence ❤️