I've been on anti-depressants for 10 years — but is it the right treatment for my disorder?

Jennifer Horgan shares her journey with PMDD -  'the evil twin of PMS'. She hopes sharing her story will help other women with the problem. 

Irish Examiner columnist Jennifer Horgan has been on medication to treat Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder for the last ten years. Her dream is for the medical profession to take a more holistic approach to the disorder. Picture: Larry Cummins

I have been on the same treatment for Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) for ten years now.

PMDD for anyone who doesn’t know is a condition relating to menstruation. It has been described as the evil twin of PMS. Mine flared in my early 30s, after my second baby and before my third. I began to suffer extreme bloating, but whilst the physical stuff was manageable, my mood changes were not. The pendulum would swing every month before my period, or rather a deafening gong would strike and stay striking for about a week or so. The second my period arrived everything would go quiet. I’d be myself again.