Woman Left Terrified by What Happens to Her for Two Weeks Every Month
A woman whose mood and personality dramatically change for nearly half of every month has shared what it’s like living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Emily Blout, from Washington, D.C., has lived with the severe hormone-related mood disorder since she started menstruating at 15. The 42-year-old told Newsweek: “For 12 to 14 days of every month, I become another person.
“My upbeat personality turns sad, angry and unfocused. I erupt into tears for no reason, snap at my husband and 11-year-old twin sons, and sit in front of my computer for hours in a total daze.”
What Are the Symptoms of PMDD?
According to the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPD), PMDD affects around 1 in 20 women.
Symptoms occur in the days before a period and usually disappear shortly after menstruation begins, as the brain reacts to normal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels.
The IAPD says symptoms can include:
- Emotional and mood symptoms
- Fatigue and low energy
- Behavioral and appetite changes
- Feeling out of control
‘I Was So Consumed by Anger’
Blout saidthat she experiences intense emotional changes in the two weeks leading up to her period.
“I experience an incredibly intense anger,” she said. “Once, during a trip to London, I was so consumed by anger toward my husband that I booked myself a separate $2,000 flight home.”
She recalled “the cloud” lifting around 24 hours later and being unable to believe what she had done.
Then there is the sadness.
“I suffer with two different types of sadness. One I call ‘stupid sadness.’ Something as simple as a Disney movie can leave me crying hysterically, unable to stop.
“The reaction feels completely out of proportion,” Blout said.
At other times, she experiences a deeper sadness that makes it difficult to get out of bed and is often accompanied by brain fog.
“Last year, I was driving my minivan to work. I ran a red light because I was so spaced out, spun around and totaled my car,” she said.
Searching for Treatment
After trying antidepressants and even being prescribed antipsychotic medication following a bipolar misdiagnosis, Blout sought further treatment around 10 months ago and began taking Lupron (leuprolide acetate), a prescription hormone therapy that suppresses the production of sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
The medication has placed her into a chemical menopause, but it has stopped her PMDD symptoms.
“I have never understood until now what it’s like to have a regular life-all of a sudden, I have time and clarity back,” Blout said. “Everything has changed for the better. The boys have their mother back.
“My kids are getting older and they have noticed that something is wrong with me. They are aware and see it every day.”
Facing Difficult Choices
Today, Blout faces a difficult decision between having surgery to remove some of her reproductive organs or trying experimental drugs in an effort to prevent her symptoms from returning.
“Over the years, I have exhausted all options,” she said. “I have tried antidepressants, birth control and talk therapy.
“My husband and I can’t deal with this anymore,” Blout added.
“I have been to see a surgeon to discuss removing my ovaries and fallopian tubes, but I am determined not to get surgery if I don’t have to.”
Research has previously shown that women who have their ovaries removed before menopause may face an increased risk of memory problems or dementia, which is why Blout is reluctant to undergo the procedure.
For now, she feels as if she is in limbo, waiting for natural menopause.
“Women with PMDD are basically experimenting on ourselves,” she said. “The system hasn’t deemed PMDD important enough to dedicate research funding to finding an effective treatment-let alone a cure.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and James Debens
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 4:41 AM.