They thought they were 'losing their minds' through 'lonely' condition

{'text': 'BBC'}

{'text': 'The support group meets in West Derby in Liverpool'}

{'text': 'Women who have waited decades for a diagnosis for a severe premenstrual condition have called for more support.'}

{'text': 'Members of a North-West support group for women living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) told the BBC their symptoms included extreme mood swings, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.'}

{'text': 'But they said they had been repeatedly misdiagnosed or had their concerns dismissed by doctors.'}

{'text': 'The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said a new health strategy will ensure women are "listened to and taken seriously", adding that women with PMDD have been "failed for far too long".'}

{'text': 'In the UK, around one in 20 women have PMDD, and the average wait for a diagnosis is around 12 years, according to a report by the charity PMDD Project.'}

{'text': 'At a support group in West Derby in Liverpool, women have been sharing their experiences of what it is like to live with a debilitating menstrual condition.'}

{'text': 'Mandy McCarthy, 48, from Aintree, said she first started experiencing symptoms when she was 15.'}

{'text': 'She describes PMDD as an "uncontrollable rage."'}

{'text': 'She said: "You become somebody else, and it takes over what you say and how you feel.'}

{'text': '"The tears, the anger, the self-hatred, suicidal thoughts, losing relationships, friendships... you can\'t control it. There\'s nothing you can do about it."'}

{'text': 'Mandy described the symptoms as "uncontrollable rage"'}

{'text': 'According to the NHS, external, symptoms of PMDD are "similar to PMS, but are much more intense and can have a much greater negative impact on your everyday life".'}

{'text': '* Headaches and joint and muscle pain, * Overeating and problems sleeping, * Feeling very anxious, angry, depressed or suicidal.,'}

{'text': 'The exact cause of PMDD is not fully understood, but the average wait time for a diagnosis is around 12 years.'}

{'text': 'Lorna said she had struggled with her symptoms since she was a teenager'}

{'text': 'Some of the women said they were diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety, irritable bowels and depression – before later finding out they had PMDD.'}

{'text': '"Misdiagnosis is very common. Doctors just fob you off for years and years and it\'s like beating your head against a brick wall," Mandy said.'}

{'text': 'Lorna Mayers, 43 said her diagnosis was a relief after years of struggling with symptoms since being a teenager.'}

{'text': '"My feelings became intense and uncontrollable. I thought I was losing my mind and now I know I\'m not. Talking it through with the other girls, this is hope," she said.'}

{'text': 'Abigail Grierson, who at 29 is one of the youngest members of the group, said she was "one of the lucky ones" after being diagnosed at 23.'}

{'text': 'Her therapy course lecturer spotted some of her symptoms, and after suggesting it could be PMDD, Abigail went to a GP specialist and received her diagnosis.'}

{'text': '"I was so, so, so lucky. It is a gift to know everything I do as young as I do.'}

{'text': '"To be able to manage and understand it early," she said.'}

{'text': 'Abigail said she was "lucky" to have been diagnosed at a relatively young age'}

{'text': 'The group was set up by Liverpool mum Rachel Bertenshaw, 42, who waited 23 years for a PMDD diagnosis.'}

{'text': 'She was originally put on medications for mental health conditions and heavy periods.'}

{'text': '"I didn\'t know I was looking for this diagnosis because I didn\'t know what it was.'}

{'text': '"But I just knew something wasn\'t right with my cycle," she said.'}

{'text': '"Unless you are going to the doctors every week and making yourself a bit of a nuisance, then you just get left," she added.'}

{'text': '"I was in a GP appointment once and told [the GP] I was suicidal, and she looked at her watch and told me I would have to make another appointment.'}

{'text': '"I can\'t even comprehend that."'}

{'text': 'Rachel started sharing her experiences on social media and discovered she was not alone.'}

{'text': 'It was what led her to set up the support group and begin hosting monthly sessions with other women.'}

{'text': '"I wanted to bring women together... it\'s so lonely having this condition."'}

{'text': 'Mandy said: "This is the first time in over 33 years of suffering that I have been with women who understand.'}

{'text': '"I wish I could tell that little 15-year-old me that you\'re not abnormal, you\'re not crazy, this is just a condition you\'ve got."'}

{'text': 'Rachel founded the group'}

{'text': 'Dr Mahshid Nickkho-Amiry, consultant gynaecologist at Spire Manchester Hospital, said: "PMDD is a diagnosis that can be frustratingly slow to get.'}

{'text': '"Often that\'s because the symptoms do overlap with lots of other conditions."'}

{'text': '"There\'s not a simple lab test that can tell us that\'s what you have and there\'s also the stigma around menstruation and mental health."'}

{'text': 'She added: "It\'s really important that people who are looking after women really have a good understanding and awareness of all the conditions that affect them so we can effectively help them too."'}

{'text': 'A spokesperson for the DHSC said women with PMDD had been "failed for far too long" and "too often their symptoms are dismissed or normalised".'}

{'text': 'The spokesperson added that a new women\'s health plan "will ensure women are listened to and taken seriously from their very first appointment and are directed to the right professional first time."'}