How severe of a problem is PMDD?

Just curious of how serious PMDD is viewed by those familiar with it. What are the characteristics that an employer would judge for if they were to accidentally find out about a diagnosis for one of their employees? How many people diagnosed with PMDD have become a threat to anyone in the past? Is this diagnoses enough of a concern that a person with it should tell their employer about it even though the person has not had problems in public or at work due to the PMDD before?

I can answer only a couple of your questions. I'd like to point out that not everyone diagnosed with PMDD has problems with anger. Anger is just one of the possible mood dysfunctions that can occur.

If you know someone who has PMDD and has anger problems with it, you might get better answers to your questions if you asked about that specifically rather than about PMDD in general.

What about just irritability that can be controlled in public by quick meditation or temporary dissociation when necessary? The concern is with potential for worsening symptoms. I believe the primary of the 4 that you quoted are marked irritability and "anxiety or tension" with the coping mechanism being social withdrawal when possible.

Well, I am not an expert on this diagnosis. My only qualification is being female and experiencing some years of very bad PMS. I was already taking antidepressant medication, so I never sought help for the problem, which in hindsight, was probably a mistake.

I did eventually use non-prescription bioidentical progesterone cream on the recommendation of a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

The level of irritability that you're describing doesn't sound like it would be expected to escalate into violence.

I'm going to list a couple of links here that discuss non-drug treatment for PMDD. There are so many recommendations in the two articles that it would be pick and choose for me if I was considering them.

I think it's better to try some treatment rather than to just hope for the best. That doesn't necessarily mean a prescription medication.


Severe PMS and PMDD Treatments

Dr. Mark Hyman

As far as telling a boss, I suppose my instinct is not to tell unless the problem is already affecting work performance and it's being treated or is going to be treated very soon.

When I would have a discussion like that with a boss, I would tell them what health problems I was having (diagnosis and symptoms that were affecting work performance). Then I would say that I was seeing a doctor and being treated.

If I felt like my work performance was not going to be adequate because of the problem, I would ask if an accommodation was possible.

So, based on the information in your post, I'd say probably a "no" on telling the boss. Of course, that depends somewhat on the type of boss. I have chronic health problems and have had to have these types of discussions with bosses in the past.

I always had the kind of boss who, although super nice, would have asked "why are you telling me this?" if I had started telling him about a health problem without a reason other than just to let him know. He really only wanted to know if there was a good reason that he needed to know. Other bosses may be more open to the discussion (or less.)

Sometimes if it's not clear whether a boss should be informed about a health problem, it's good to ask if there is a policy about that. Also, if we're talking about a large company with Human Resources personnel, it's good to find out beforehand if there are policies about what types of things they have to be in the loop on.

This issue has solutions to it, medications that work wonders...no reason to suffer it's full effects?

I had a neighbor that had this, only no one knew it...she came over one night telling me of a fight and she had to flee...her husband, a firefighter, was abusing her... o.K. I called the police/ fire rescue since she said he hit her (I didn't observe any of this...just gave safe haven.)

Well, to make a long story short, fire rescue and police came to my house and then to his--- it turns out SHE had bitten him severely and he had called rescue, and she had no marks on her... she was diagnosed shortly after with PMDD and medication saved their marriage. Like night and day...

Good wishes in battling this... I would only tell employer if the medication (or herbs) don't work and you need to change the job you're doing to be able to be alone??? Something like that.

I wouldn't disclose PMDD to an employer unless she needs an accommodation for the condition (maybe time off?). As far as I know, no condition must be disclosed to an employer if the employee isn't asking for an accommodation (i.e. something to be changed on their behalf). There's no reason to set people on edge when there's no reason to believe the condition affects her work. I just don't think it's appropriate to disclose a diagnosis without reason, whether that diagnosis would be considered serious or not. My brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia 9 years ago and years later other doctors disputed that diagnosis. So I guess what I'm saying is -- things can change.

Thanks for all the advice! Is there a possibility for starting new medicine that is taken only the week before your period to cause a severe increase in symptoms that would cause sudden problems that could affect work? Specifically an anti-depressant. The problem that I am talking about is that taking the anti-depressant would possibly increase symptoms to where the usual coping methods don't work anymore. A vocal explosion would be extremely embarrassing if it were to happen at work.
Background Info: A different anti-depressant in the past caused significantly increased irritability during the first day of taking it, and also the day that it was stopped, or whenever a dose was forgotten.

This is why I strongly recommend anybody with any form of mental illness to NEVER disclose their condition to an employer under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!

Employers can't be trusted with this type of information and disclosing your mental illnesses to them can be grounds for termination or they can be used as a reason to not hire you when you're seeking employment.

Keeping yourself in control is paramount. Never allow yourself to be at the mercy of your employers or anybody else for that matter.

I don't think one needs to disclose to their employer unless they they themselve anticipate it being a problem.

I don't know if she has been diagnosed but my 28yr old daughter has a great deal of difficulty. She has real problems with the period itself, becoming near incapacitated 2 days out of every month.

She does exibit changes to her behaviour but I wonder if it is more irritation and anger at knowing what is coming up. Not sure. I've never thought until now it might actually be a diagnosible problem.

I have had a lot of issues with that since I stopped taking birth control two years ago. My doc said PMDD. Anxiety is always through the roof, irritability, extreme exhaustion. I know that hormonal contraceptives work to help this and I have even read of docs giving people a few Valium for the first couple days.

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Honestly, I am wondering if it is a misdiagnoses now. My symptoms aren't typical. I don't usually notice anything until the time the thing happens, which is really more like sensory overload causing a strong emotional pain. Sure, I may have bad PMS pain and what not, but I don't see my problems being severe enough other than isolated times in the past (when I am eating healthy and exercising consistently, I have no problems whatsoever). Idk. I feel torn on the matter, really. Or maybe if I do have it, the type I have should be classified differently. Mine isn't even a week of emotional issues. It is one day. Just one day of severity, and then nothing. I still don't understand. I thought I did earlier, but now am second-guessing that understanding... It hasn't happened this month yet, though if it happens, it will most likely occur on Sunday. Usually happens on the quiet days after I finally get a break. So sad that that is the way my body decides what to do with its break. sigh. end train of thought.

I get 9 days of suicidal depression. Mine is not influenced by diet, vitamins, exercise or medication. I have been admitted to hospital for it several times before. Last day is the worst where i am inconsolable and extremely suicidal to the point of needing to be restrainsd. Gives you an idea of severity...

Yeah, that is why I was thinking that I could be misdiagnosed. Anyway, I know that I am safe for another month now, lol. Period started early. haha. It's just funny because I know the therapist will probably get mad at me for not taking the medicine... ugh. oh well. nothing I can do.

Just as an update: I haven't had any mood problems since the pseudo diagnosis, and decided not to take the new medicine. I'm pretty sure it was a misdiagnosis. I feel like it is best to not see the same practitioner again as I would get crap for not taking the medicine. My hemoglobin (iron) was low just a week after my period ended, and I think the natural variance is that hemoglobin is lowest right before your period, so it should have been at its highest at the time it was tested. My big suspicion is that the causes for my previous moodiness were vitamin deficiencies causing anemia. I have been recently taking daily b12 vitamins, and my mood has been a whole lot better. I don't think I have PMDD, just low iron before my period. Last time on the day before my period as I was starting to get irritable, I ate a double serving of tilapia and rice which halted and calmed the irritability, so no problems occurred. It is now probably 2 days before my next period starts and I feel fine, not irritable. I just need tested for deficiencies. I fix the deficiencies, and I am all better. Simple.

Disclaimer: I do not know for sure what the range is on hemoglobin variance w.r.t. monthly cycle, so it could be a negligible amount. I couldn't find out the range without buying anything, unfortunately.