PMT misdiagnosed as depression?
According to The National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome (NAPS), the UK charity for people with PMT, there’s been a rise in the number of young women being told they’ve got depression when their symptoms are actually linked to their periods and don’t last all month. Those being misdiagnosed as clinically depressed may be prescribed anti-depressants by their GP, which can be strong and addictive.
Jackie Howe, who runs the charity, admitted that it can be hard for women to recognise that their symptoms are linked to their menstrual cycle, and women’s health spokesperson Sarah Jarvis agreed that a diagnosis can be difficult, saying: “The psychological symptoms of PMT and depression are very similar and so yes there can be a temptation to offer them anti-depressant drugs, because they can work for both”.