Kate Hackett
Dixie D’Amelio, TikTok star and musician, shared that she was recently diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and that the condition has been plaguing her for years.
The Mayo Clinic describes PMDD as a “severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome” which can cause both physical and emotional symptoms like “extreme mood shifts.”
Dixie further noted that the condition seriously interrupts her life, including her general demeanor, relationships, and personality.
“It really affects your moods and your behavior and many different parts of your life,” Dixie detailed during a livestream. “I feel like I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until I got to this point I was in last week.”
During that same stream, she explained that many symptoms of the disorder had appeared and that seems to have led to her diagnosis.
“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. That was very confusing to me because how could I go one day being fine and the next day not wanting to be here anymore?”
Now that she finally has a diagnosis, Dixie says she’s “very happy”. She look forward to finding “better ways to handle” the negative emotions that arise during PMDD.
“I’m feeling better now, and I will probably be going through the same thing next month and the month after that because there’s no immediate cure,” she said.
Doctors say that the condition can be treated with antidepressants, birth control, and sometimes diet and lifestyle alterations.
If you suspect you may suffer from PMDD, please consult your physician.
