If you’ve found us while scouring the internet for some piece of evidence that what you’re going through is real, then you’ve found the right place.
The waiting room is a living archive of stories that gives a glimpse into how women manage their lives around their premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
We’re here to tell you what you are going through is truly hard. We see you. It is not a moral failing that you’re going through this.
We named this space The Waiting Room because so much of living with PMDD can feel like waiting. Waiting to be taken seriously. Waiting for the right diagnosis. Waiting to find something that helps. And sometimes, simply waiting to feel like yourself again.
Our hope is that through these stories, you find pieces of your own experience in someone else's and feel seen in the parts of yourself that have been hardest to explain.
What is PMDD?
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe, cyclical disorder in which emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms emerge or worsen in the weeks before menstruation and typically improve within a few days after a period begins.
PMDD can affect mood, relationships, work, and everyday life. Symptoms can include severe depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and feeling overwhelmed or out of control.