The Statistics and the Diagnosis

Why, when so many women are affected with PMS do we not take it more seriously?

You may be surprised to learn that 80% of women have suffered from PMS symptoms at some stage in their life. Or maybe, you’re not surprised at all, because you yourself have suffered with PMS symptoms and experienced how these can affect your life negatively. PMS affects the way you feel about yourself and not to mention the people around you.

 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CALLED ‘HORMONAL’?

There’s such a negative connotation around it. Have you ever been called “hormonal” or had loved ones avoid you because they know that your “time of the month” is coming. Maybe, if there is more understanding around this syndrome and maybe, if more women know it is possible to have a period without PMS we can change these negative views.

So lets get clear about a few things with PMS!

 THE TIME OF THE MONTH WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE PMS SYMPTOMS

It stands for premenstrual syndrome and a woman can experience either physical or emotional (or both) symptoms that are cyclic in nature. These symptoms are experienced just prior to your period, but can affect some women for up to 2 weeks before. That’s half of every month (THAT’S HALF OF EVERY YEAR) that these women (or you) are not functioning at their best. And, I’m afraid most of these women are suffering alone and not much is being done for them.

 THE DIAGNOSIS

There are no blood tests that confirm PMS. The diagnosis is made from a clinical assessment of:

  • Consistent symptoms (physical and/ or emotional) that occur after ovulation and before your period begins
  • If emotional symptoms are present, they should not be experienced in the first phase (follicular phase) of your cycle
  • The impact on your daily life and activities (work, school or social)
  • The occurrence of 5 of more symptoms
  • Conditions that cause similar symptoms are ruled out first

SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW PMS CAN MAKE YOU FEEL

I have been treating PMS for years now and I don’t agree that it’s so black and white. The stories that women tell me can be heart breaking of how it affects home life. I’ve seen relationship break-ups, I’ve seen guilty mothers that feel terrible and guilty after an unnecessary outburst, I’ve seen women blame themselves for their behaviour, I’ve seen women feel worthless, I’ve seen women sad, depressed and on the extreme end feel like its (life) not all worth it.

And that’s just the personal stuff, many women are also affected professionally. Whether you are working to support your family or you’re a career woman, you cannot afford these PMS symptoms to overflow into your professional life.

If you are one of these women (or if you know someone) who suffers every month with PMS, please help spread my message. You (or they) don’t have to suffer with PMS anymore!

 

If you need extra support around this ‘time of the month’, please finish reading my ‘PMS series’ and if you feel like naturopathic treatment is a good fit for you, please book get in contact here. Skype consults mean that location is no longer a barrier and are great for busy women, and that’s all of us. Look forward to hearing from you.

 Amanda xx