PMDD Overwhelmed Feeling

PMDD Overwhelmed Feeling - Ask the Doctor Q & A

Question

Is it normal to get an overwhelmed feeling before my period? I get it at work and at home, and it just feels like I have so much on my shoulders, so much on my plate and there's not enough time to do it. Maybe it's got to do with my attitude and the way that I look at things around that time, but I just feel like it's too much. That's the overwhelming feeling I get. And I tend to get really aggravated whenever I'm on my period, I just feel overwhelmed and angry and something that's simple, that normally is not a big deal, upsets me a lot.

~ Nita

Answer

Nita, I like that you used that word "overwhelmed", because I think it is a more descriptive word than "stressed." In fact, feeling overwhelmed is a common PMDD and PMS symptom—though I wouldn't call it normal, in the sense that PMDD symptoms are a signal from your body that things are out of balance. I wouldn't say it's a result of your attitude, and it's certainly not normal or necessary to have to suffer from these symptoms. These overwhelmed, angry, and aggravated feelings can be a big part of PMS and PMDD: they've also been described as tension, on-edge, and feeling out of control. For women with severe PMS, we created the Intensive Relief Program. You can take our PMS Self-Assessment Quiz and see if your symptoms are in the severe range.