Does anyone else experience this before their period?

[GentleOliveFatball]

Hello, I am posting on here as I am anxious about reaching out my friends, family and doctors in real life.
For as far as I can remember I have felt incredibly emotional and unstable usually a couple of weeks/a week before my period starts. I feel like it's more extreme than pms because it gets in the way of my normal life.
I feel irrationally angry at family members and almost always fall out with them over something stupid, that would never normally bother me. I cry and cry to the point where I feel unmotivated to do anything else. I feel like all my friends/co workers secretly hate me and I feel rage towards them for minor things. I feel like every single person is judging me and must hate me. I feel embarrassed and ashamed/self conscious for no reason. I often feel suicidal (I never have any feelings like that outside of the week before my period) It basically feels like I wake up one morning a totally different person to who I was and everything that used to bring me joy makes me feel upset or doesn't interest me. However then my period arrives and I realise that that was the cause and I am not a terrible person. Although it then usually repeats the next month, and I am so sick of it. I used to be able to get away with spending a day in bed however I do not have the option to do that anymore.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is it more than pms and should I seek professional help?
Thank you.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Look it up.

Hi! So sorry to hear you're feeling like this.

I had a very similar experience, except I felt so so low. It only started for me after having my daughter and it did get better eventually but for some I know it can just be how they feel.

I noticed a pattern after a fair few months. I'd chat to my mum, tell her that I was feeling low to the point of struggling with day to day life and work. I'd tell her that I'd wait a week, get some sleep and if it hadn't improved I'd visit the doctors to discuss going back onto antidepressants.

Then it'd go away and I'd think I was all better. Took me a while to realise that it was related to my cycle and as a previous poster mentioned, PDD came up.

My doctor offered things like the mini pill to help balance the hormones but in the end I decided against it as I was hoping to go forward for another round of IVF.

Ultimately though, all I can say is to talk to a doctor about it. I know you said you don't feel able, but they do understand and can offer help. I've heard of many different treatments and Ultimately this is up to half your month you're spending feeling like this. You don't have to, there are ways!

Or rather, you feel anxious about talking to the doctor...

As others have said, Google PMDD - it sounds like what you have. Don't suffer alone, there is support out there. If you go to your GP it can help to ask to see a female GP as they are often more clued up.

Yup. It's horrendous. I'm pretty sure I have PMDD. Sertraline changed my life. But I've found HRT brings all the symptoms back.

Thank you so much. I'll look into speaking to a doctor as soon as possible. 🩷

Yes, although I'm not sure why, I think it's because I don't want to admit to myself that I feel the way I do. Not sure if that makes any sense...

Yes it’s horrendous. Exercise and diet help. Therapy helped too just to give me the tools to work through the feelings and ground me. I am peri menopausal and much more stable ironically. I refuse to use hrt for this reason. Take care