Let's set the scene.
It's the week before your period. The Luteal of Doom. Or hell week, if you prefer.
Someone chews too loud?
Instant rage.
Your partner breathes wrong?
Blocked that mothafugga in your brain and probably on socials too.
You're not losing it.
You're not toxic.
You're not secretly turning into a raccoon living under a porch.
You're just PMSing... or, if you're one of the lucky ones (sarcasm), you're experiencing the spicy version: PMDD.
And yes, hating everyone before your period is extremely common. Let's talk about why.
The Hormone Drop That Turns You Into a Dragon
Right before your period, your estrogen and progesterone levels take a dramatic nosedive.
Not a gentle decline.
Not a soft we're landing now.
It's a full blown hormonal belly flop.
And when your estrogen drops, your serotonin drops too.
And when serotonin drops?
Your patience evaporates. Your tolerance evaporates. Your love for humanity evaporates.
Everything people do suddenly feels like a personal attack.
Someone asks you a question? Annoying.
Someone looks at you? Threatening.
Someone dares exist near you? Disrespectful.
Because your brain is in survival mode.
Your body thinks danger is everywhere, so it reacts to tiny inconveniences as if a lion is chasing you.
You're not dramatic....your nervous system is literally inflamed and overwhelmed.
Anger Is the Body's Most Misunderstood PMS Symptom and it's intensely amplified for those with PMDD
Everyone knows about cramps, cravings, and crying at dog commercials.
But not enough people talk about anger.
Pure, primal, absolutely-feral rage.
Right before your period, your body:
Loses emotional resilience
Has less serotonin to smooth out reactions
Becomes overstimulated
Processes everything as too much
As a result, tasks that normally feel fine suddenly feel impossible.
You look around and see 37 things out of place. Even clutter that you've walked past again and again...is suddenly offensive.
Every responsibility feels like a personal insult. An unwelcome tug at your existence.
And for people with PMDD, it isn't just PMS.
It's a full emotional hijacking. Actually, it's a full systemic hijacking to be more specific.
You can go from zero to burn it all down in five seconds flat.
And sometimes? It goes beyond rage. Sometimes the luteal phase doesn't just make you hate everyone, it even makes you hate yourself, taking you to really dark places. If the darkness ever goes deeper than rage, you're not alone in that either.
And then...
as soon as your period starts, you're like:
Oh hey... sorry about that. I'm normal again.
A total mind fuck. For you and those that love you.
The good news is that you're Not Crazy. Your Hormones Are Running the Show.
So What Can You Do?
A few things help soften the everyone is annoying feeling:
Lower your workload during your luteal week
Avoid over stimulating environments
Reduce caffeine (I know, I'm sorry)
Add magnesium
Limit histamines (they make mood symptoms worse!)
Sleep more
Warn your friends and family so they don't take it personally
and my personal favorite....
GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF ALONE TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
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and before you go..
Remember...you're not broken.
You're not rude.
You're not unlovable.
You're not mean.
You're hormonal.
You're overwhelmed.
You're in the luteal phase.
And your body is doing loud, chaotic construction work internally.
Next time you feel like you hate everyone before your period, remember:
It's not you...
It's your hormones throwing their monthly tantrum.
For more articles on PMDD, visit our PMDD Guided Library & Resource Center.
While you're here...if you like short stories....check out my other blogs.
Until next time...
