Cheeky Minx
Bio
Cheekyminx writes intimately about PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) and hosts the Facebook page PMDD Life Support, a place where women with PMDD can find information and inspiration to cope. Your contributions are appreciated!
Stories (45/0)
PMDD & The Holidays
Everyone looks forward to the holidays...er, right? Well, yes and no. Let's be honest; as much as we all look forward to the celebrations in some ways, they can also increase our stress levels with the pressures to shop, cook, spend precious time, energy and money to meet expectations, and mix with those we might otherwise choose to avoid. Certain family dynamics can also rear their nasty little triggering heads and emotions can run deep. For those with PMDD, depending on where the menstrual cycle falls, this added stress can send us over an edge we might have managed to avoid in better circumstances.
By Cheeky Minx2 years ago in Psyche
Different Not Pathological
I know I'm not the only person to have ever received a diagnosis with a feeling of complete relief. When I learned about PMDD -- and this didn't happen until my 40's -- my whole menstrual life suddenly made sense. I finally understood why I was different and why my experiences were so challenging. I wasn't crazy. It allowed me to begin the road toward healing, not by suddenly overcoming my condition, but by learning effective ways to manage it and by practicing self-care and self-acceptance.
By Cheeky Minx3 years ago in Psyche
Blindsided by PMDD
Hello my lovely PMDD community. Forgive me for not having written anything new in ages and probably at a very unfortunate time for many as we have all been doing our best to cope not only with the wretched PMDD but also with the total destruction of our world as we knew it. I sincerely hope you are all keeping it together...or if falling apart, loving yourself through it. Who could foresee the shitstorm in which we currently find ourselves?
By Cheeky Minx4 years ago in Viva
PMDD & Coping with Isolation
I recently polled my Facebook followers asking them what they turn to first when the PMDD rage hits. The results showed that most women choose to isolate. Since we feel we can't control our responses, perhaps that is indeed the best way to avoid trouble.
By Cheeky Minx4 years ago in Psyche
PMDD Is No Holiday
The Winter holidays tend to be stressful times for a large majority of people, even if they get excited by and look forward to the festivities. For women also coping with PMDD, however, this time of year can be a nightmare. I recently asked a handful of women with PMDD what they most struggled with during the holidays. Here's what they shared along with some possible solutions:
By Cheeky Minx4 years ago in Viva
PME vs PMDD vs PMDD with PME
I started writing about PMDD about two years ago. I always write from my own personal experience and interest based on what I’ve researched for my own well-being. I’m not a scientist nor trying to present “medical” articles. I’m really just sharing my story, perspective, and tools that have helped me cope.
By Cheeky Minx5 years ago in Viva
PMDD: Out from Under the Magnifying Glass
Living with PMDD is like being placed under a powerful magnifying glass. Beneath the glass, one can see how our thoughts betray us, drawing the thick veils of illusion across our eyes. We don’t see anything quite as it really is, but through a darkened lens of paranoia, self-hatred, and confusion. Beneath the glass, we can see the closing of the heart that would otherwise allow us to both give and receive love, not just from those closest to us, but from all sources. Beneath the glass, we can see quite clearly the burning fires of our attachments and aversions. We become anxious and afraid of what we could normally be able to regulate. When we are in the throes of PMDD, all the ways in which every human being struggles and suffers, regardless of sex, age, race, or culture is exaggerated through us. In essence, PMDD magnifies the human condition, for us and all the world to see.
By Cheeky Minx5 years ago in Viva
The Inner Divide of PMDD
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder has a long list of symptoms associated with it. Perhaps one of the most disconcerting to our sense of self is the division it can create within our perspective. When we are symptom free, for example, our relationships can hum along even in the face of difficult challenges. Bring on the symptoms, though, and all of a sudden our tolerance for any trouble evaporates to the point of wishing for and sometimes acting on our freedom from those same relationships. Friends look like enemies. Lovers look like cheaters. Family becomes a target.
By Cheeky Minx5 years ago in Humans
Simple Tools for Surviving PMDD
Invisible illness sucks. If you look healthy and are of an age to "know better," you are expected to A) snap out of it, B) act your age, and C) pull your own weight. But none of those things are easy when you're too tired, too sore, too messed up in the head, and too overwhelmed.
By Cheeky Minx5 years ago in Viva
Mental Health and Apology Fatigue
I've been writing for some time for a particular audience of which I have been a member: women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. But recently, I've noticed that much of what I write can be helpful to anyone with a nonvisible, behavorial challenge... men and women. So, while this is written specifically pertaining to PMDD, it is dedicated to anyone who finds him or herself in the predicament of having to say, "I'm sorry" a lot.
By Cheeky Minx5 years ago in Psyche
Feline Wisdom for PMDD
Meet Tigerlily, my cat. She was a stray who wandered up our driveway one morning, mewing, cold, and starving. Now she's a bonafide member of the family, an absolute gift and treasure. She's taught me so much about how to cope with my premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). I thought it might be nice to share Tigerlily's wisdom here with all of you.So here are six great life lessons in PMDD from my therapy cat and feline guru.
By Cheeky Minx5 years ago in Petlife