Vicky Pattison lays bare 'dark thoughts' in candid health admission
The TV and radio star has been nothing but open and honest about her health
Vicky Pattison has laid bare the 'dark thoughts' she has suffered throughout her journey with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD),
The TV and radio star has been nothing but open and honest about suffering from PMDD, a very severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
After years of debilitating and scary symptoms in the weeks leading up to her period, the former Geordie Shore star was diagnosed with PMDD last summer.
At the time, in a candid post shared to her Instagram page, Vicky revealed the extent of what she has been suffering with over a five year period and how she'd been 'dismissed' with her concerns over the years.
Since her diagnosis, the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here winner has continued to be open and honest in talking about PMDD and the impact it has on her and many others.
In a new social media post, Vicky shared the "crippling anxiety, insomnia and dark thoughts" that she has to deal with as she gave a real look at how the condition is affects her, before showing how she's also able to live her life a fully as she possibly can.
Vicky showed how her stomach bloats during her periods, and how she can find herself in tears and living surrounded by a mess during the painful moments.
But she also showed herself eating, attending work projects and laughing before walking her dog, showing her and TV star Angela Scanlan checking out a billboard for their new Get A Grip podcast, and even included clips from her stunning wedding to husband Ercan Ramadan.
"The highs & lows of PMDD. It's always a bit of a mixed bag with my PMDD- some months aren't so bad & I feel hopeful," she typed alongside the honest post.
"And other months it just completely takes me out & I feel hopeless. Usually there's no real rhyme or reason. But last month I knew I was in for abit of a rough ride- I hadn't done anything that I know helps alleviate my symptoms."
She went on: "I hadn't been consistent with my supplements, my diet was atrocious & my schedule was just unrelenting so I went into my luteal phase not really standing a chance. But despite my concerns, nothing could have prepared me."
Vicky called the incident "terrifying", revealing she rang her sister in a desperate attempt as she didn't know what she was going to do. She told her how she also didn't know what she was capable of.
She continued: "And after a week of crippling anxiety, insomnia, my inner critic finding fault at every turn & dark thoughts.. I know I meant it. And that's the thing with PMDD, one week you're this bright, shiny, brilliant woman who is strong, smart & ready for anything life throws at you..
"& then your PMDD fog sets in and your brain convinces you that you're worthless, that everyone hates you & the world would be a better place without you in it. Every month I lose myself & descend further & further into this self-loathing state & this month almost got the better of me."
While she said she isn't looking for sympathy by sharing her story, Vicky said she was speaking out to help others. "Supposedly 1 in 20 women are dealing with PMDD, but due to medical misogyny, lack of awareness & misdiagnosis- I believe that number to be a lot higher," she shared.
"Which means that there are thousands, if not millions of women suffering in silence or being ignored or gaslit into believing these things are normal. They aren't. You have a condition. A hormonal disorder & these thoughts are not a reflection of your actual value."
Vicky went on to urge anyone dealing with the condition to know they are not alone and emotionally said that the world "is better for having you in it". She added: "You are a warrior.. you are powerful & you are UNSTOPPABLE."