Vicky Pattison has been opening up about her battle with PMDD.
The former Geordie Shore star was diagnosed with PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, earlier this year and is now spreading awareness about the disorder.
Describing her experience with PMDD as a ‘constant cycle’ Vicky has revealed the symptoms she has gone through.
The 35-year-old has also admitted to feeling ‘embarrassed and weak’ when describing her experience to a doctor who dismissed her feelings.
While chatting on Good Morning Britain, Vicky explained, “When I went and explained what was wrong, and was told, ‘It’s just PMS, every other woman in the world is going through it, they're just not making as much of a fuss as you’, I felt embarrassed”.
“And I felt weak that they were able to cope, all these other brilliant, shiny, strong women and I couldn’t”.
Vicky then revealed how she’d describe the disorder, saying, “Honestly, the best way I've ever heard it described is that PMDD is like building a sand castle of good habits, great relationships, positive habits, going for morning runs, drinking your green juice, giving birth to an avocado, whatever it is”.
“And then every month, a wave comes and takes away all those things and leaves only hopelessness and despair, and just as you’re rebuilding your castle again, that wave crashes again”.
The podcast host went on to share the many symptoms she’s experienced while battling PMDD.
“It's this constant cycle. For me, I’ve experienced- although some people can have different symptoms- It was despair, hopelessness, overwhelm, chronic fatigue, crippling anxiety, and - in some darker moments, suicidal thoughts”.
Pattison shared an insight into getting her PMDD diagnosis in August on social media by posting a collection of photos from before her diagnosis and saying, “This week I decided enough was enough and went private & told myself I wouldn't be dismissed”.
"When the doctor said to me ‘it sounds like you have PMDD..’, I cried. I cried because I felt f***ing heard in a medical setting for the first time in years and also I cried because hopefully now I can start trying to manage this rather than just ‘get on with it’- like I feel like women are expected to”.
