'My husband and child are bearing the full brunt of my PMT. What can I do?'
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Q: For the last two years I have been suffering with (I think) bad PMT. I have slowly started to monitor my bad mood swings, and the only time that I feel good is from the week prior to my period and up to the 10-12th day after that. From then on I am an absolute nightmare. My husband and child are feeling the full brunt of this. I have bad mood swings from one day to the next, but I won't know what sort of mood I'll be in that day. I don't want to carry on being like this. I love my family and need to keep it alive and well. I really could do with some further guidance, please can you help? Megan, 34. |
our online advisors reply:
Thanks for contacting us Megan.
It sounds like you're really worried about the way your pre-menstrual tension (PMT) is affecting your family. You say that for much of the month you have mood swings, and that these are really unpredictable. You're scared of what might happen when you're in a bad mood.
PMT can include symptoms such as depression and irritability, among others, and can be a very difficult condition to live with. If you haven't seen your doctor about this, then this would be a good place to start. Unfortunately, it is often a case of trial and error to find out what treatments work for you, and this can take time. There isn't a test specifically for PMT, but you can have blood tests to check your hormone levels. If you don't feel that your GP is sympathetic to your problem, you could always try another GP in the practice, or consider finding a new practice.
Some people find that taking certain supplements helps to reduce their symptoms. Changes to the diet are also thought to be beneficial. Have a look at the complementary medicine section of our site for details of therapies that may be helpful for relieving PMT or PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome).
The following sites might also be useful:
This is clearly affecting your life greatly, and you sound concerned about the effect it could be having on your family too. Our families at loggerheads feature has some useful advice about dealing with family tensions and emphasises the importance of good communication. Have you tried speaking to your husband and child about how you're feeling? They might find it helpful to understand more about what you're going through and to appreciate that you feel that your mood swings are out of your control.
Or, if you think it might help to talk to someone independent about the way you're feeling, you could contact Careline. Careline is a crisis telephone counselling service for anyone on any issue. You can reach them on 020 8514 1177 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm and 7pm-10pm).
I hope this helps.
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