Trigger warning: This story deals with topics including mental health.
Married at First Sight Australia star Jules Robinson has opened up about her diagnosis with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD.
Speaking on her podcast The Juggling Act, the 41-year-old shared that she had begun experiencing PMDD symptoms shortly after the birth of her son Oliver in 2020.
“It was about three months [post-partum], and obviously because you’ve got so many hormones going on, you don’t really know if you’re coming or going… I’d stopped breastfeeding and I’d just got my period and it was just the most intense emotions and feelings.”
After receiving her diagnosis 12 months ago, Jules reflected that while she initially believed that she “always suffered a bit” during her period, her PMDD symptoms continued to intensify post-partum.
“After I had Oliver, it just took another level of depth of despair… It was awful. I had really dark, horrible thoughts, and that’s when I was like, ‘This is not me’.”
Jules joins a number of slowly growing public figures to bring attention to the debilitating health struggle that affects an estimated 8% of women, with fellow reality star Angie Kent also using her platform to share her experience.
“Leading up to my period I’m a different person. I thought I was bipolar, I was so manic and completely not myself,” The Bachelorette star told The Daily Telegraph in November 2022.
TikTok star Dixie D’amelio, 21, has also recently gone public with her diagnosis, after dealing with health issues for “the past seven years.”
“I kind of took a break from social media the past two weeks. I wasn’t feeling great and not really sure why,” D’Amelio, 21, said in a livestream posted on her Instagram, before sharing the diagnosis.
“The D’Amelio Show” star revealed that the disorder “really affects your moods and your behaviour and many different parts of your life.”
“I didn’t realise how much it was affecting me until I got to this point I was in last week. But it really disrupts my life and my attitude and my personality and my relationships and just who I am as a person,” she said, adding that it also affects her anxiety.
“I have never been so low and just down. And having no idea what was wrong with me was very alarming,” she said. “I just felt like I had no control over my body or mind and I had no idea what was wrong but it would turn on and off like a light switch.”
What is Premenstrual dysphoric disorder?
The Royal Women’s Hospital explains that PMDD is a severe kind of premenstrual disorder, which can “significantly affect your quality of life” through both severe physical and mental changes.
The Royal Women’s Hospital estimate that around 8% of women are affected by PMDD, which is essentially a more serious form of PMS.
How is PMDD different to PMS
Although PMDD is similar to PMS, it is more serious. PMDD can cause severe irritability, depression, or anxiety in the week or two before your period starts.
What are the symptoms of PMDD?
Similar to PMS, the symptoms of PMDD are wide-ranging and can present differently in each individual. Symptoms of PMDD include:
- Anger or irritability
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Depression
- Fatigue and low energy
- Food cravings
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
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Is PMDD considered a mental illness?
PMDD is commonly defined as an endocrine disorder, which is a hormone-related disorder. However, PMDD can have a wide range of both physical and mental symptoms.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, help is available. Visit the Lifeline website or call them on 13 11 14
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