When Riven first got her period at age 10, the debilitating cramps weren't even the worst part. Instead, she felt completely out of control for the first day or two of her period, sometimes sobbing for hours, sometimes losing time. But the scariest symptom was the intrusive thoughts of harming herself that came with her period pain. It took over 10 years, but after an incident involving her kid brother, she got a diagnosis of PMDD and a medication that she says saved her life.

CRISIS SUPPORT:

Call 988 anywhere in the US for free, 24/7 mental health crisis support

Text HOME to 741741

PMDD Support (not Crisis Support): International Association for Premenstrual Disorders - IAPMD.org

Studies mentioned in the episode:

Prevalence of depression in women vs men: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5532074/

Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10751335/

CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.

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