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8 Tips for Natural Control of PMS & PMDD Mood Swings
by Dr. Daniel J. Heller
When Marci, a 34 year-old single professional woman, came in for an appointment seeking natural relief from her PMS moods, she explained that she'd been having hormonal mood swings and "mood swings before my period" for most of the past year. The more we delved into her symptoms, the more it became clear that Marci's overall PMS mood, not just her premenstrual mood swings, was a big factor in her PMS problems.
As she talked, she realized that she felt an overall depressed mood before her period, but that the sudden and unpredictable bouts of sadness, anger, and PMS irritability bothered her most. Towards the end of our appointment, she told me, "No doctor has ever asked me such detailed questions or listened to me so carefully before. I think maybe my period mood swings aren't my only PMS problem. I really want to work on my overall PMS mood."
PMS mood swings are called labile mood, a fluctuation of mood, by doctors, and is one of the most common and troublesome PMS symptoms. You may notice alternating depression and anger, or feeling suddenly unable to control your tension and anxiety, or even feeling sad and tearful for no apparent reason. The bottom line is that for days or weeks before your period, you may feel that your moods and behavior are out of your own control. These premenstrual mood swings usually happen against a background of an overall depressed, anxious, or tense mood.