Welcome to the emotional rollercoaster that is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)—basically PMS’s overachieving, chaos-loving cousin. If PMS is a moody Monday, PMDD is a full-blown Shakespearean tragedy with thunder, lightning, and a dramatic monologue in the rain.

If you’ve ever felt like a completely different person before your period—like, “Why am I crying because I dropped a grape?”—you might be dealing with PMDD. Common symptoms include:

• 😢 Depression that makes you want to live under a blanket forever

• 😡 Irritability that turns “mildly annoyed” into “burn it all down”

• 😰 Anxiety that convinces you everyone secretly hates you

• 😭 Mood swings that could win an Oscar

• 🧠 Brain fog, fatigue, and the sudden inability to remember why you walked into a room

These symptoms aren’t just “ugh, I’m cranky.” They can seriously mess with your job, school, relationships, and general ability to function like a human.

PMDD can’t be diagnosed with a blood test or a magic wand. Instead, you’ll likely need to:

• Track your symptoms for at least two menstrual cycles

• Show that symptoms disappear once your period starts (like a hormonal ghost)

• Rule out other conditions like depression or anxiety that don’t follow the same monthly pattern