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[snarkyghosts.livejournal.com]

How would you go about discussing PMDD with your doctor without he/she thinking that you are a complete hypochondriac? I think that the best route is to track my cycle. Any ideas?

Comments

[dindin.livejournal.com]

To begin with, your doctor should always take your concerns seriously and never think you're a hypochondriac.

That being said, a mood chart or mood diary is a great way to show someone exactly what's going on. It's just an objective daily tracking of how you're feeling, your menstrual cycle, and anything else of significance in your life.

I really like the one they use on this site (http://www.psychiatry24x7.com/bgdisplay.jhtml?itemname=mooddiary). I used something really similar when I was having hormonal mood swings years ago. The instructions are pretty thorough, but really all you need to do is mark your mood each night on the chart, any medications you take, and the day your period starts.

When I was doing it, it became completely obvious that every two weeks my moods would plummet. Maybe I had good days or bad days in between, but like clockwork, about every two weeks I was miserable. My doctor and I were able to see it, talk about it and work on fixing it. I loved having that tangible record, and it helped me become aware of what was going on, and have a tiny bit more control over my moods because I knew why I was feeling that way.

Good luck!