Introduction
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a disorder that affects women and is defined by severe mental and physical symptoms that happen between ovulation and menstruation. Women seek therapy for this everyday biological problem since there is an effective cure. “But many health professionals say PMDD does not exist, that it can be confused with other mental health disorders, such as depression” (Daw, 2002). The most crucial thing is to provide women who seek therapy with affirmation, regardless of whether PMDD is considered a mental disease.
Discussion
Hormone dysregulation is simple to ignore while coping with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, yet balanced hormones are essential for both a healthy and active lifestyle. Numerous physiological processes are regulated by hormones, which are substances produced in endocrine system glands. They regulate sexual health, mood, reproduction, and metabolism. When the central nervous system releases an excessive amount or insufficient amount of a hormone, this is known as hormone dysregulation. Hormonal abnormalities in women can initiate or exacerbate symptoms, including restlessness, hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety, or despair. Understanding the relationship between female hormones and mental health is crucial since female hormone levels and variations are complicated.
Many women’s health conditions are likely to be misdiagnosed or brushed off by physicians as something less serious, whether it be ovarian cysts chalked up to regular period discomfort, cardiovascular disease misunderstood as worry or an autoimmune condition misinterpreted as depression. Women who are gaslighted often have psychological and societal factors at play. Men, for instance, often express their concerns louder and with more remarkable persistence. It can be more challenging for women to fight back and speak up for themselves. They believe that in order to be suitable patients, they must accept the advice of their medical professionals. In the past, it was tempting to think that diseases like migraines, which affect women more frequently than males, were psychosomatic.
The physical transformation of a girl into a woman during puberty, including the development of pubic and underarm hair as well as the beginning of menstrual periods, is brought on by the hormone estrogen. “Young women with regular estrogen cycles needed less medicine than young men, but around the time of menopause, they started to fare worse” (Miller, 2018). “The links between estrogen and mental illness are clear, and the prospects for treatment too interesting to dismiss, particularly given how poorly women have been served over centuries” (Miller, 2018). In addition to its prominent role in childbirth, estrogen also affects the brain, heart, skin, and other bodily tissues aids in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels, and protects the health of bones.
Conclusion
The quote that many professionals believe PMDD does not exist raises questions about how these people can then develop ways to help women who suffer from such a disorder. In my opinion, this is one of the most critical issues that should be discussed, and physicians should classify this disorder correctly. From Miller’s article on estrogen, I found two quotes that contradict each other a bit. The first one says that in regular estrogen cycles, women do not need any medicine, but the second quote refutes this fact by saying that women have received very little medical attention in terms of estrogen. These quotes raise the question of what kind of natural medical care should be applied to women.
References
Daw, J. (2002). Is PMDD real?Monitor on Psychology, 33(9). Web.
Miller, L. (2018). Listening to Estrogen. The Cut. Web.