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Episode details

Radio 4,4 mins

‘My mood swings were so extreme, my friends staged an intervention’

Woman's Hour

Available for over a year

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) affects five percent of women who have periods, and can cause extreme mood swings, severe depression and personality change. It’s often misdiagnosed as a mental health issue, or totally ignored by doctors. Sam has suffered from PMDD for several years, and faced disbelief from doctors until recently. She tell Jenni Murray on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour how she knew something was wrong, and how she fought to be believed. She’s joined by Paula Briggs, a consultant in reproductive and sexual health at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust who is leading a study looking at new treatments for PMDD.

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