PMDD, Intrusive Thoughts, Hormones & Medication: Riven's Diagnosis Story

PMDD, Intrusive Thoughts, Hormones & Medication: Riven's Diagnosis Story

From CRAMPED by Kate Downey

April 28, 2026 · 19 min · Season 2 · Episode 28

About this episode

Riven shares her journey of living with PMDD and the impact it had on her life until she received a diagnosis.

When Riven first got her period at age 10, the debilitating cramps weren't even the worst part. Instead, she felt completely out of control for the first day or two of her period, sometimes sobbing for hours, sometimes losing time. But the scariest symptom was the intrusive thoughts of harming herself that came with her period pain. It took over 10 years, but after an incident involving her kid brother, she got a diagnosis of PMDD and a medication that she says saved her life. CRISIS SUPPORT: Call 988 anywhere in the US for free, 24/7 mental health crisis support Text HOME to 741741 PMDD Support (not Crisis Support): International Association for Premenstrual Disorders - IAPMD.org Studies mentioned in the episode: Prevalence of depression in women vs men: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5532074/ Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10751335/ CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) for ad-free & bonus episodes, plus the discord community and online…

People in this episode

Host: Kate Downey

Guest: Riven

Topics covered

  • PMDD
  • mental health
  • menstruation
  • diagnosis
  • intrusive thoughts
  • crisis support

Keywords

  • PMDD
  • menstrual cramps
  • mental health
  • diagnosis
  • intrusive thoughts
  • crisis support
  • medication

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Association for Premenstrual Disorders, IAPMD.org, Patreon, art19

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