To the woman suffering from Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder aka PMDD,

You are not alone in your misery. I understand the uncontrollable irritability, the crying fits, the outbursts over the most minuscule details that you normally wouldn't think twice about. Your condition is not imaginary and it is not all in your head. The aches and pains in your body, the severe depression, the sadness and anxiety are real. You suffer from a real condition that affects 3-8 percent of women; this is a condition that takes a catastrophic toll on your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

I also suffer from PMDD and I understand your pain. It makes life a living hell for me and everyone else in it. For two weeks out of every month, I am not myself. My depression and anxiety worsen, I become irritated by everyone and everything around me, I lose my temper in bouts of rage, I go through crying spells, my body aches. I can't sleep at all or I sleep all day. I isolate myself from the world. PMDD turns me into a ball of rage, sadness, anger and irritability; I am ready to explode at any given moment. I have said horrible words I don't mean and I've made impulsive decisions completely out of character.

PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that can be debilitating. In the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), PMDD is categorized as a mental disorder. In fact, researchers at the National Institutes of Health discovered there is a genetic link with PMDD, which proves that it is fact a real condition that is in need of attention and treatment for sufferers, including me. The article also states that PMS is 56 percent heritable.

Ever since I got my first period at 12, I've dealt with mood swings, depression, anxiety, rage, irritability, insomnia, severe headaches and cramps so painful that I had to miss school or work because I couldn't move. PMDD can even cause suicidal ideation; An article in Elle UK "My Menstrual Cycle Left me Suicidal" tells the story of Emily, who experiences "overwhelming bouts of rage" to the point of harming herself and only being able to work part-time due to PMDD symptoms such as migraines and extreme fatigue. Emily also experienced suicidal thoughts resulting PMDD symptoms and I have too.

Just as Emily states she is a "completely different person" around the time of her cycle, I also a completely different person. I am not myself at all. This condition overtakes my body, my personality and it saps me of my energy and my wellbeing.

If you've been called "crazy", "lazy", "psychotic" or "dramatic" by people who are ignorant and don't understand PMS or PMDD, you are not alone. You are none of those things; you are experiencing the symptoms of a real and valid condition.

Remember: there is treatment and relief for symptoms. One of the forms of relief I have found with managing my PMDD symptoms is birth control; I have a hormonal IUD and it seems to take the edge off a little bit, but I am still stuck in PMDD's merciless grasp. I am also on antidepressants, which may also ease symptoms, but it's still a battle I have to endure every single goddamn month. I have to get up and face the world while I fight against myself.

Unfortunately there is no cure for PMDD, only management of symptoms. Getting enough sleep, avoiding alcohol, eating healthy, and exercising are remedies for easing the symptoms. Seeking individual therapy to manage mental health is beneficial too. If you suffer from PMDD and feel medications such as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety would help, consult your physician or a psychiatrist.

As a society, we do not talk about this condition enough because we don't take women's health seriously. A 2015 Atlantic article "How Doctors Take Women's Pain Less Seriously" shared the story of a woman named Rachel who was suffering from great pain caused by ovarian cysts were undetected and grew into an ovarian torsion, which required surgery. Doctors didn't listen to Rachel's pleas for help with the pain; she and her husband waited hours in the ER before she was able to be seen by a doctor.

Rachel's story is just one of many instances where women's pain isn't taken seriously or is brushed off by healthcare providers. Of course, it's not right to assume that all doctors don't take women's health seriously, but as a society it's clear women's pain, whether it be a side effect of PMDD or an ovarian cyst, society just tells us to "Take a Midol and suck it up."

Again, to the woman suffering from PMDD: Your condition is real, your symptoms are real. It is not all in your head and you are not crazy.

We need to take women's health taken seriously. I want my health, my pain and my words taken seriously. There is a major lack of education and awareness with PMDD and that needs to change. No woman should have to suffer in silence and pretend nothing is wrong or believe she's crazy and needs to calm down and have a Snickers. Enough of that bullshit.

PMDD is real. PMDD is a disorder. You not alone in your suffering.

For more information and support, visit the Gia Allemand Foundation or Vicious Cycle.