Vicky Pattison has revealed she was ignored by male doctors for years and was left feeling ‘stupid’ and ‘ashamed’ when she tried to seek help for her “unrelenting and debilitating” health condition.
The 37-year-old had been suffering with depression, exhaustion and agonising period pains for over five years when she was diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
The Geordie Shore star, who shocked social media this week by sharing a fake sex video made through AI in order to investigate deepfake porn for an upcoming Channel 4 documentary, explained that her condition left her suffering through a constant cycle of misery for 10 days to two weeks which would lead to suicidal thoughts.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that can impact a woman’s daily life.
According to the NHS, PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is the name for the symptoms women can experience in the weeks before their period. It can affect anyone who has periods. You can get help if it affects your daily life.
Symptoms can differ per women and can vary from month to month with the most common symptoms including: mood swings, feeling depressed or irritable, feeling upset anxious or emotional, tiredness or trouble sleeping or changes in appetite or food cravings.
Other physical symptoms include bloating or cramping, breast tenderness, headaches, spotty skin and greasy hair.
Raising awareness for her condition on ITV Good Morning Britain, she said: “It can appear differently in different people. Physical symptoms include aches and pains, exhaustion, cramps, breast pain.
“Your mental symptoms are your mood swings, your erratic behaviour and a genuine belief that the world will be a better place without you.”
She continued: “My experiences when I went in to discuss my symptoms were horrendous. For five years I was dismissed. I was made to feel ashamed. For the majority of time it was men.
“I think the lack of understanding and empathy towards what we are going through is shocking. We are not given the correct information and education to be able to treat a woman going through what they are. When I was completely dismissed time and time again I was able to go private.”
Although PMDD is common, a lack of awareness among healthcare professionals means some women wait a decade or more for a diagnosis, according to the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD).
Vicky has recently hit out at cruel trolls who have accused her of “inventing a condition to stay relevant” and dismissed her pain.
In an Instagram post last month, the reality star wrote: “I thought I’d share & honest insight into what people suffering with PMDD go through.
“Because if I have to read one more ignorant comment from some sad keyboard warrior saying ‘here we go, another celeb inventing a condition to stay relevant’ or ‘we all get a period every month, just get on with it’- I think I’ll scream.”
She fumed: “Grow up. It’s 2024 & women have too much going on in their lives- impressive jobs, busy social calendars, children, partners, pets, passions & everything in between to have time to PRETEND to be struggling.
“Furthermore, from experience I know the level of pain & desperation most women have to be experiencing to speak up. Because we’ve been conditioned for years to believe we just need to ‘suck it up’ and ‘get on with it.
“So when a woman does come forward to share her experiences- understand that it’s probably taken them a lot to get there. ALOT. And the last thing they need when they’re already feeling vulnerable & fragile is some uneducated mouth piece minimising their pain. These comments speak volumes about people’s attitudes towards female reproductive health and women’s pain in general. And I’m over this outdated and misogynistic rhetoric.
“PMDD, endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS and everything in between are heartbreaking & debilitating conditions that are driving women to despair and early & often unnecessary hysterectomies- if you can’t give these women the empathy and compassion they deserve I really suggest you say nothing. Or educate yourself. Because your misogyny is showing hun.”
Vicky has come under fire for releasing her own deepfake sex tape for a new Channel 4 documentary called My Deepfake Sex Tape, with the move being branded as ‘deeply disrespectful’ by an abuse victim.
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