Hi Erika,

Congrats on your recovery! After my first son, I had very bad postpartem depression and now, my husband and I have been tracking my moods with feelwellonline.com because it seems like whenever it’s that time of the month, we have big arguments.

How did you finally get a clear diagnosis? Did journaling or writing about it help?

Thanks!

Jeanine

Jeanine,

I didn’t do any journaling or writing back then. I didn’t even know I was a writer back then! LOL! I’ve been doing my writing mostly in the last few months, which has been great. Not great to dig around in there after several years, but great to rework it and share with others.

I got a diagnosis because of my own observations. I figured out enough patterns and had enough events happen that it was finally exposed. I wrote a shaky frantic letter to my doctor, she saw me right away, and we had our diagnoses - postpartum depression and PMDD. With your monthly arguments, perhaps PMDD is worth checking out? Your monthly observations will really help figure that out.

Erika,
I need help!! I have been taking celexa for anxiety for about a year and a half and that seemed to be dooing the trick all but two weeks of the month where I am a MONSTER. I am in one of those two weeks right now and my heart is pounding out of my chest just typing with the anxiety level I feel but the wierd part is when it is over I can’t remember how bad it was and feel like It will probabl not be so bad next month????? I am on BCPs all the time with no placebo pills. It should stop my cycle from affecting me but is not working. I feel like maybe I need more estrogen than the pill offers and my dr. says that my body is reducing estrogen because everyones body reacts to the pill by making less of it’s own. So I don’t know how to fix me I feel like I can remember nothing and my head is soooo foggy but stressed?????any questions or help would be appreciated.
thank you
Christiana

Are you actually working with a counselor right now? And are you actually diagnosed with PMDD? Are you taking a birth control designed to help PMDD? I wish I could be more help on the medication end, but that just isn’t my specialty.

Perhaps you might find help seeking a second opinion from either a gynocologist who really understands the hormonal mood disorders, or a psychiatrist that specializes in those types of disorders. You need someone who understands the combination of the hormonal cycle and the mental health aspect. Reproductive mental health isn’t exactly the most widely studied subject, so you might need to hunt a little. Also, no matter what your mental health issue is, studies have consistently shown that the when you are taking meds, working with a counselor at the same time brings the best results.

Honestly, my PMDD isn’t absolutely gone either. I take a BCP designed to help PMDD, but no other meds. I try to do yoga and simply be aware that it’s “that time”. But I remember those difficult days, how hard it was to get out of that pattern. Don’t give up and keep looking for solutions. Look at your stress, your lifestyle, your outlets for relaxation, anything that might give you more insight on how to get through those two weeks better.

I hope I’ve given you something you can move forward with. If you still run up against a wall somehow, let me know I can dig a little more for you. Thanks and best wishes for you!