Hello, beautiful creatures! Today I wanted to talk to you about anxiety, PMDD, and ADHD. I don’t want others to suffer the way I have, so I am sharing this information with you to prevent others from suffering. I also know how isolating it can feel to have medical issues, so I don’t want you to feel alone.
Please note I am not a doctor or a medical professional, and I am sharing my experiences with my health and what has worked for me.
Anxiety
I no longer have daily issues with anxiety for the first time in almost 30 years. Dealing with anxiety, PMDD, and ADHD simultaneously can be extremely challenging. I firmly believe that my anxiety disorder was triggered by my abusive narcissistic birth mother and exacerbated by my ex-husband. When I lived with my ex-husband, who had OCPD (Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder), it heightened my anxiety disorder. I could never do anything right. And I wasn’t family to him because I never got pregnant and gave him a child.
I haven’t lived with my ex for over three years. Between cognitive behavioral therapy with my therapist, inner child work, shadow work, exercise, and meditation, I no longer feel anxious every waking moment. I no longer have to take daily anxiety meds. Even under duress at my last non-consulting job, I was not having anxiety issues, just intrusive thoughts, depression, and burn out.
Therapy
If you are in need of a therapist, I recommend checking out HarmonyUs Inc. This is where I do my teletherapy. I see Dr. Harmony and many of my friends see Therapist Nicki. They offer a variety of different therapy types, couples therapy and more. I truly believe everyone benefits from therapy and everyone should go.
ADHD
I have never been formally diagnosed with ADHD, yet frequently anxiety, PMDD, and ADHD go hand in hand. My therapist suspects that I have a form of ADHD Sensory Overload, which causes meltdowns and some of the body fidgeting I have, such as biting my lip. You can read in-depth about Sensory Overload at InFlow.
Like my anxiety issues, my ADHD Sensory Overload no longer seems to manifest now that I’m not being triggered multiple times a day. I suspect my Sensory Overload could appear again if I were under extreme stress. People have asked me if my PMDD and ADHD are linked. The truth is, I don’t know, but I do know that studies show that PMDD affects more women who have ADHD than women who don’t.
PMDD
Last year, I told you about seeing a reproductive psychiatrist to treat my PMDD. The medications I had from her stopped working after about a year, and I started having many side effects from the medication I was on, so I knew I needed to find another way to manage my PMDD.
At the urging of my best friend Carlye, I went to see my 8th new gynecologist in 4 years. This gynecologist specializes in treating PMDD and often treats PMDD with an IUD, other medications, or in extreme cases, a hysterectomy. It took me at least six months to get in to see the new doctor because the American healthcare system sucks.
When I saw the new doctor, I told her how many different doctors I’d seen, what they’d had me try for treatment and the varying degrees of success. I told her my therapist strongly suspected my PMDD issues were a hormonal imbalance but that the hormonal imbalance wasn’t something the reproductive psychiatrist could treat. On the other hand, this new gynecologist agreed with my therapist and put me on a medication called Slynd.
Slynd
Slynd is an estrogen-free oral contraceptive that contains only progestin. I have had no side effects from this medication, and I’m in my fifth month of taking it. Previously I could no longer take contraception because my body was too sensitive to it.
In the past, I would have mood swings with my PMDD, which is one of the many ways PMDD affects relationships. I would have meltdowns and feel overwhelmed, and PMDD would negatively impact my sleep. I had physical pain frequently, and I felt miserable.
My PMDD does not affect me, thanks to Slynd and my new gynecologist. I no longer have mood swings, and PMDD no longer negatively affects relationships or any other area of my life. I no longer have physical pain from PMDD and barely have my period. It’s incredible.
Learn more about Slynd at their site.
Final Thoughts
At 44, I finally feel free and happy, and I know it’s because of all the hard work I’ve done on myself in therapy and thanks to the Slynd. Having my hormones balanced is a beautiful feeling. If you are dealing with PMDD, I would recommend seeing a gynecologist specializing in PMDD, and a reproductive psychiatrist would be my secondary recommendation.
Since it seems to take a long time to get into specialized doctors here in the USA, I recommend journaling your moods, triggers, and anything else related to what you suspect your conditions are. In my case, it was anxiety, PMDD, and ADHD. I now use a physical journal to track my period, mood, triggers, etc., because I no longer trust apps for that purpose.
Having conditions like anxiety, PMDD and ADHD can be daunting, especially with how the American healthcare system currently works. Frequently doctors want to throw a bandaid on an issue rather than get to the root of the cause and fix it. I’m grateful to have found a gynecologist willing to fix the root cause of my problems. If you are suffering from a chronic invisible illness, I urge you not to give up but try to find a new doctor who might be better versed in more modern treatments.
Again, I am not a doctor or a medical professional. This information about Slynd, anxiety, PMDD, and ADHD is for general informational purposes only. Information in this post may not constitute the most up-to-date information. All liability concerning actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this site are hereby expressly disclaimed. This content on this posting is provided “as is;” no representations are made that the content is error-free.
I’m so happy for you! You’ve been through a lot and done a lot of hard work. You deserve all the happiness.
Thank you so much Rachel! Persistance paid off in this case!