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Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Meaning

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe, debilitating mood disorder classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), characterized by intense mood lability, irritability, anxiety, and depressive symptoms that consistently occur in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and remit shortly after the onset of menses. PMDD is considered a pathological, heightened sensitivity to the normal cyclical fluctuations of progesterone and estrogen. This condition significantly impairs social and occupational functioning.