Dixie D’Amelio finally has answers about some of her mental health struggles.
The TikTok star and musician revealed that in the past few weeks she was diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder — which has actually been affecting her for years.
PMDD, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a “severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome” which can cause both physical and emotional symptoms like “extreme mood shifts.”
Dixie explained that the condition “really disrupts” her life, including her attitude, personality, relationships, and who she is as a person.
“It really affects your moods and your behavior and many different parts of your life,” Dixie said during a livestream. “I feel like I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until I got to this point I was in last week.”
She shared that she recently experienced numerous symptoms of the disorder, which seemingly led to her diagnosis.
“I have never been so low and just down. And having no idea what was wrong with me was very alarming,” Dixie reflected.
She continued, “I just felt like I had no control over my body or mind, and I had no idea what was wrong, but it would turn on and off like a light switch. That was very confusing to me because how could I go one day being fine and the next day not wanting to be here anymore?”
After unknowingly dealing with the disorder for seven years, Dixie says she’s “very happy” to know exactly what’s wrong and figure out “better ways to handle” her negative emotions.
“I’m feeling better now, and I will probably be going through the same thing next month and the month after that because there’s no immediate cure,” Dixie admitted.
Although there’s no cure for PMDD, doctors say it can be treated with antidepressants, birth control pills, and even diet and lifestyle changes.
Dixie says fans will get a firsthand look at how she’s been affected by the disorder in the upcoming episodes of The D’Amelio Show on Hulu.
You can listen to all that Dixie had to say here.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is 1-888-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
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