PMDD in women
(Premenstrual Dysphoric disorder)
I decided to choose this topic to raise awareness among everyone but especially women. PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome PMS that appears 1 to 2 weeks before your period. PMDD is a biological disorder, it is not a behavioral choice to act this way. PMDD is an abnormal brain reaction to the normal hormone cycle. PMDD can come with emotional and physical symptoms. Some of the emotional symptoms are anger, irritability, crying, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, sadness, confusion, and feeling completely out of control. Physical symptoms can be things like swelling, joint and muscle pain, severe fatigue, nausea, and even insomnia. All these symptoms that a woman has to go through every month, it can impact the quality of our life and our daily functioning. That is why it is so important for women to know this.
Treatments for PMDD include:
Antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs change serotonin levels in the brain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved three SSRIs to treat PMDD:
Sertraline
Fluoxetine
Paroxetine
Over-the-counter pain relievers may help relieve physical symptoms, such as cramps, joint pain, headaches, backaches, and breast tenderness. These include:
Aspirin
Naproxen
Ibuprofen
Stress management, such as relaxation techniques and spending time on activities you enjoy.
But PMDD can be serious enough that some women should go to a doctor or nurse to discuss treatment options.
Daily exercise
Changes in your diet - such as reducing caffeine and alcohol
Setting a regular sleep routine
Trying to reduce your stress levels
if you smoke, trying to cut down or stop entirely
Yoko Ono, Diana Ocholla and Judy Chicago are the ones who inspired me. Yoko Ono with her artistic performance “cut piece”. She appears vulnerable while people cut pieces of her own clothes, and this reflects when women go through PMS or PMDD and feel so vulnerable.
Judy Chicago with her work Menstruation Bathroom. During the 1970s and through the 80s, Chicago wanted to create a visual representation of women menstruation to normalize the menstrual cycle in women.
Also, Diana Ocholla who defends the right of women to feel safe wherever we go. This is how women should feel, safe and understood by their menstrual cycle, that we don't have the power to simply choose not to have it and that we're not just acting “weird.”
Quotes:
No comments:
Post a Comment