In the second episode of Treating You we spoke to learning and development facilitator at Barts Health, Annika Waheed.Annika lives with a health condition called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).This condition only affects females and is a more severe form of Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS that many women can experience. Symptoms of PMDD are similar to PMS but are much more intense and can have a much greater negative impact on your daily activities and quality of life.Some of these symptoms can include physical symptoms such as cramps, headaches and joint and muscle pain, behavioural symptoms such as binge eating and problems sleeping and mental or emotional symptoms, such as feeling very anxious, angry, depressed or, in some cases, even suicidal.Annika’s life has at times been severely impacted by PMDD. She suffered a breakdown just before the Covid-19 pandemic started and has struggled at various points since that moment.In this episode we explore how Annika began to experience PMDD symptoms, the taboo that women face who live with it and what initiatives we’re doing at the Trust to support women like Annika who live with it. April 2022 is PMDD awareness month so after listening to this pod, we hope you listeners go away and read up on this health condition and how you can do your bit to get involved in raising awareness or supporting women in your life who might have it.You can follow Annika on social media below:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hormonesandheartache/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hormonesandheartache/video/7059761363077418245If you live with PMDD or want to find out more about it, you can find some resources below:National Association for Premenstrual Syndromes (NAPS): https://www.pms.org.uk/International Association for Premenstrual Disorders: https://iapmd.org/Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust menopause and PMS service: https://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/your-visit/patient-leaflets/medicine-services/west-london-menopause-and-pms-serviceHormone Health: https://hormonehealth.co.uk/Special thanks to Jafunk for providing our theme-tune. Listen to him on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/artist/5KtUig38eqxK2rOtHZnz0kFollow him on social media below:Instagram: www.instagram.com/jafunk_official/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@jafunk?lang=enCredit: Jafunk feat. Aaron Pfeiffer - Real Guy: open.spotify.com/track/5etBLZsX6a59YHU8MYsHttTRIGGER WARNING: This podcast contains a deep discussion about suicide and suicidal ideation, which some listeners may find distressing or upsetting, so please listen with caution.