Is it PMDD?

[Anewdance]

I am really struggling again due to crippling anxiety. I am due to start another new job which isn't helping and it really has taken a lot for me to go for an interview and despite not giving it my best they obviously saw something in me and offered me the role. I am so worried that this 10-12 day a month anxiety, low mood, self doubt is going to ruin my chances in succeeding at this job where there is going to be lots to learn.

Going back to my thoughts about this being PMDD I started journalling a year ago when I left a bad job and knew then I was struggling with my mental health but it predominantly seemed to be pronounced in the last stage of my cycle. It's only now when I think back I think I've had it for years, I left uni down to anxiety amongst other things and situations and generally have so much self doubt I'm struggling to cope. I thought it may be connected to perimenopause and I tried various forms of hrt including patches but with no relief. I was put on Sertraline twice before but I came off it after a month as I really didn't feel my self.

Sorry for the long post, anyone else have this or can relate? 💖

Can you remember when and why the feelings of anxiety began? Finding the root cause is often the starting point to understanding your feelings and ultimately resolving the underlying issues.

Thank you for your reply. I would say the anxiety has probably been there since mid to late teens with no significant events around that time.

@Anewdance , I can really feel for you. I'm the mum of a dd of 14 and have just put the pieces of the jigsaw together. After 6 months of her increasingly anxious and disturbing behaviour (the most recent being 12 days of deep, deep depression, apathy, paranoia, not eating, self harming and suicidal thoughts), that seemed to suddenly appear and then suddenly disappear every couple of weeks, I realised there must be an explanation, rooted in hormones or some chemical reaction to them.
Reading about PMDD has been a revelation - it does appear (often quite quickly) 1-2 weeks before your period; peaks a couple of days before you start it and then clears a couple of days later. It's caused by a negative sensitivity to hormonal changes - the best description I have read from a sufferer was that 'her body is hijacked every 2 weeks." After a fortnight, she is released and spends the next 2 weeks "catching up and picking up the pieces." This absolutely describes our experience; it is devastating for the sufferer and those around her. It's actually recognised as an official disability so your new employer should have to make allowances for you (see this).
Definitely worth speaking to a doctor and it is helpful to have tracked your mood every day. We're just starting down the medication route and will probably spend months trialling and erroring to get it right but recognising the cause at least gives you something to work on. There is lots of advice out there from diet and exercise as well Good luck - you're not alone :-)