Interview study, 2024
What is it like to recover from or manage PMDD?
Women recovering from PMDD described moving from feeling shame and helplessness toward recovery and taking action. Many found that doctors who didn't understand PMDD made things worse.
What they did
Researchers interviewed 7 women who were recovering from, managing, or transforming their experience with PMDD. They recorded and analyzed the interviews to capture different meanings and perspectives in their stories.
What they found
Women described two main patterns. First, dealing with shame, feeling silenced, and anger, but gradually finding agency. Second, moving toward taking action, letting go of harmful beliefs, and feeling back in control of their bodies. Women reported that many doctors were dismissive or didn't understand PMDD, which led them to seek out their own ways to manage the condition.
What it means for you
Recovery and management of PMDD are possible. Finding your own solutions matters when doctors don't help or don't understand the condition. Medical providers need better training on PMDD. The main limit is this was only 7 people's stories, so we don't know how common these experiences are.
7
women interviewed
About the study
- Original title
- Beyond abjection: Exploring narratives after premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Megan E. Buys
- Journal
- Feminism & Psychology
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Interview study
- What was tested
- None. This was an interview study asking about lived experience.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/09593535231223915
Topics
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