Woman, 30, didn't know what was wrong with her until an episode of Loose Women

A woman has praised ITV's Loose Women for playing a pivotal role in her diagnosis after her mother watched an episode that led to a life-changing revelation. Stephanie Gray, an Edinburgh-based nursing student, battled with a condition that she claims was initially dismissed by doctors.

The 30 year old endured years of severe depression, mood swings, and recurring suicidal thoughts that intensified each month before her period. It wasn't until a suicide attempt at the age of 19 while at University in Dundee that she sought serious help for her escalating symptoms.

Stephanie was eventually diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The condition had been undermining her mental health for years.

Describing her ordeal, Stephanie recounted: "The most problematic symptom was the constant mood swings." She also detailed how she would transition from a normal life to feeling suicidal every month.

"I was very temperamental I could fly off the handle very easily at certain times of the month. The week leading up to my period, I don't think I was a very nice person to be around."

She also expressed the dread she felt as her period approached, knowing full well what was to come, "I just had to brace myself for it", she added.

Stephanie said that she would "know it was coming" and it was something she couldn’t hide away from or change. She said: "I just had to brace myself for it.

"Luckily, I have a good support system around me, and I lived at home at the time, and we braced for it. I made it out, but it would just make it harder to face it again the next month."

Stephanie began attending therapy and was prescribed antidepressants - but her symptoms still continued. Her family were scared and desperate for answers - until Stephanie's mum Loraine heard Denise Welch sharing her experiences with PMDD on an episode of Loose Women.

Loraine matched the symptoms that the ITV panellist was explaining and told Stephanie who immediately recognised her own experience in Denise's story. She eagerly shared the news with her psychiatric nurse, who dismissed her theory - starting a years long process of obtaining a diagnosis.

Stephanie said: "I remember going to the nurse and saying that that sounds like me, this explains everything and makes so much sense. She didn’t laugh, but she smirked, and told me it wasn’t possible – that my hormones can’t affect me that much.

"I didn’t really understand why she’d just fobbed me off. It frustrated me, but I was so ill at the time that I think I was indifferent.

"I was still so ill that I didn’t have hope anyway. I think it affected my family more because they really thought the professionals would listen and at least investigate a little bit.

"It was completely shot down and my mum felt more alone and felt more pressure for her to figure it out. She kept going no matter what, until we got someone to listen."

"It was completely shot down and my mum felt more alone and felt more pressure for her to figure it out. She kept going no matter what, until we got someone to listen."

Stephanie and her mum began to actively seek a medical professional across the country who would take her symptoms seriously. Eventually, she found aid in a sexual health clinic located in Edinburgh which helped her secure an official diagnosis of PMDD and gave her a combined contraceptive pill prescription to better manage her symptoms.

She spoke out saying: "The first line of treatment thankfully worked for me. It's a combined contraceptive pill, and that thankfully worked for me alongside different lifestyle changes. I'm really lucky, because a lot of women end up having to have a hysterectomy to attempt to improve their symptoms."

In sharing her experience, Stephanie hopes to shed light on PMDD, thus empowering people to approach this condition with seriousness. She expressed that she was "already at breaking point" as she struggled for her diagnosis.

In her words: "When people think you're just being crazy or dramatic and when even professionals don't listen to you it's a really dark place. It ruled the majority of my life. Every day was a struggle for a good few years.

"After my diagnosis, there was a lot of relief. I'd found out a lot more about PMDD and met other people who had it as well. There was a lot of relief in talking to them. I started to feel more like myself I wasn't crazy, I wasn't a lost cause.

"This is a real condition, and you can get better. I had a lot of hope, and then I went through the grieving process. What would have happened if I'd been diagnosed earlier as a teenager? Would my life look any different? Would my relationships have been different?

"There were a lot of mixed emotions, but in general, my diagnosis has led to me growing as a person and knowing myself. The symptoms are so serious and so debilitating, and people are going so long being undiagnosed and misdiagnosed.

"I'm a student nurse, and I've seen how although professionals are more aware of PMDD now, the treatments and awareness are lacking. My experience definitely gave me a direction it lit a fire in my soul to want to be able to help women and help improve the healthcare we provide for women."

What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)?

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a health problem that is similar to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) but is more serious. PMDD causes severe irritability, depression, or anxiety in the week or two before your period starts.

Symptoms usually go away two to three days after your period starts. You may need medicine or other treatment to help with your symptoms, which can include:

• Lasting irritability or anger that may affect other people

• Feelings of sadness or despair, or even thoughts of suicide

• Feelings of tension or anxiety

• Panic attacks

• Mood swings or crying often

• Lack of interest in daily activities and relationships

• Trouble thinking or focusing

• Tiredness or low energy

• Food cravings or binge eating

• Trouble sleeping

• Feeling out of control

• Physical symptoms, such as cramps, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain

Speak to your doctor if you are experiencing any of these.